


Choosing Family

by Ginnyrules27



Series: Choosing Family [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Ben is a puppy, Caring Ben (Disney: Descendants), Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Hades is a Good Parent, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Mal & Uma Friendship (Disney), Mal and Harry Hook Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 166,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26933812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginnyrules27/pseuds/Ginnyrules27
Summary: (AU) "You abandoned me when I was a baby." What if Hades hadn't abandoned Mal when he left Maleficent? What if he had chose her? How different would Mal's life had been, even as she remained trapped within the confines of the Isle?
Relationships: Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Doug/Evie (Disney: Descendants), Harry Hook/Uma, Jane/Carlos de Vil
Series: Choosing Family [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965289
Comments: 148
Kudos: 270





	1. Chapter 1

Hades looked over his shoulder at the bundle in Maleficent's arms, his soon to be ex-wife glaring at him as he prepared to walk out the door.

"Go on!" She growled, her eyes glowing green. Had she been able to access her full power, Hades might have felt nervous for Mal. "Leave! But know this, if you go, you'll never see hide nor hair of Mal again!"

Hades stilled, before turning to square off against his wife, towering over her smaller form. "I'm taking her with me," he told her, his voice low. "She's my daughter Maleficent. If you think I won't get my hands on her one way or another, you've forgotten what got me tossed on this hell scape of an Isle in the first place."

"She'll have powers you'll never understand," Maleficent told him. "I"m the only one who can explain them to her, even if she can never use them."

"Oh, so you'll be able to explain her godlike powers too or were you going to brush those under the rug? Maybe pretend like they were your Fae powers?"

Maleficent rolled her eyes. "She won't know you exist nor will she have access to them while she's under the barrier so what's the point in explaining those?"

"The Isle's not the biggest," Hades pointed out, his voice low with a slight growl. "We could run into each other."

The two stood off for what felt like an eternity but was more realistically around five minutes. Maleficent broke it first, shoving Mal into Hades' arms.

"Fine, take the little brat!" She growled. "With a weak father like you, there's no chance she would be anything to be proud of."

"You and I have very different definitions of what would make us proud of our daughter," Hades told her before walking out of Maleficent's lair, Mal being supported the best he could. He knew it was a risk, walking out into the Isle with an infant but he had no choice. His lair was on the exact opposite side of the Isle from Maleficent's and there were no underground tunnels connecting the two, the way there might be if he had an alliance with Maleficent.

And there never will be any tunnels to the Dragon's lair, Hades thought, a glare keeping some of the underlings from approaching him. Some even dove out of his path to avoid his rage. However, that didn't stop others from trying.

"Ah Hades!" Gaston greeted him with a wave, Captain Hook his only company, at the half way mark of Hades' trek to his lair. "Come, have a drink! I'm celebrating after all!"

Hades rolled his eyes but walked over to the hunter despite his better judgement. "What are you celebrating?"

"The birth of my son of course! A boy, strong like his father! He'll be running around with Gaston Jr and Gaston the Third in no time."

"Let me guess the name for this one. Gaston the fourth?" Hades ventured.

Gaston sighed. "Sadly no. I got the news too late so Claudette had already named him. Gil, on account he was born near the water and Claudette likes fish. Serves me right to leave that decision up to a woman."

"Aye, I've been blessed with a son myself," Hook nodded while Hades rolled his eyes at the hunter's not so creative names for his sons. "Harriet's not the happiest lass in the sea but she'll get over it."

"Well congratulations," Hades said dryly. "If you'll excuse me, I need to return to—"

"What's that you got there Hades?" Gaston asked, finally noticing the bundle in Hades' arms. "Laundry? Give it to one of the scullery maids around here and grab a drink!"

"Laundry doesn't move, you idiot," Hook sighed.

"I knew that!"

Hades rolled his eyes at their banter but before he could say anything, Mal cooed from her blankets. The noise caught the pirate and the hunter's attention.

"Why Hades, is that a baby you've got there?" Hook asked, his hook peeling back the blankets.

"Very well spotted," Hades responded, his voice flat as he resisted the urge to rip that hook from Hook's body. "Your powers of observation are obsolete."

"Who does the brat belong to?" Hook asked.

"Didn't Maleficent's egg just hatch?" Gaston asked before Hades could answer. "Hades, bold of you to snatch the hatchling right after the birth. You know dragons are extremely protective of their young."

Hades snorted. As much as Maleficent tried, she couldn't avoid people see her growing belly during the pregnancy. Evil Queen had delighted in Maleficent's changing figure, though she couldn't say much considering she had been pregnant with her own child at the time. The young girl had been born three months ago so it wasn't possible to confuse her with Mal, who was about three weeks at best.

"Well Maleficent couldn't do much considering she was sleeping," Hades lied. It would be safer for Mal if no one on the Isle knew she was biologically his. Maleficent held all the power on the Isle.

"Ah excellent," Gaston nodded and then looked over at Mal. "Bah, a girl! I wouldn't have even put in the effort."

"Didn't you get bested by a girl? A girl who's husband is the reason we're all on this prison?" Hook asked as Hades walked away, not in the mood to hear their drivel any longer. The remaining walk back to his lair was without interruption and Hades sighed as he entered his home. That's when the realization hit: there was nothing suitable in his lair to raise a baby.

"Oh gods I wish Persephone was here," Hades groaned and then paused. "On second thought it might be a good idea that she's not. I can handle a baby on my own for a few months. I can't handle becoming a mint plant. Of course, that wouldn't be seen as evil so Steph's powers would work if anything green could grow around here."

Setting Mal down on a nearby chair and using what he could to keep her from rolling, Hades walked into another room.

"PAIN! PANIC!" Hades bellowed, realizing a minute too late that the summons might have awoken Mal. But there were no cries from the other room and soon his minions were in front of him.

"Pain!"

"And Panic!"

"Reporting for duty!" They said, ending with a salute.

"I need you to set up a room for a baby," he growled, his tone of voice letting them know that there would be no questions. "You are not to be loud. You are not to ask questions. Let me know when it's done."

"Yes sir!" Both of them agreed and ran off, saluting as they went. Hades smirked and went back to hold Mal.

"Hi little Mally," he said softly. "I'm your dad. Your mom's a little scary so I thought it would be better if I spent all the time with you."

There was no response, no noise, which Hades had to link to Maleficent being the mother. The only baby he had ever been around was his little sunspot of a nephew but even he was squealing and babbling all the time.

I could always inquire at Ursula's. Didn't my niece have her own little squidling? Hades thought as he sat with Mal. No, that would defeat the purpose of people not knowing Mal's mine.

"Um Hades?" Panic's voice broke through Hades' thoughts after what might have been an eternity but was more realistically about thirty minutes and he turned to glare at his minion.

"What?"

"The r-room's r-ready," Panic said and Hades had to be impressed, despite his better judgement.

"That was fast," he said, getting up to see what his minions had done.

"I-I hope you don't mind b-but we used a lot of V-Virgil's old things," Panic said as Hades looked at the room. "The c-crib for instance—Vanessa spent the morning freaking out because Virgil had managed to climb—"

Hades cut Panic off with a glare; he honestly did not care about the backstory for the room being completed so fast. The job was done and they weren't loud in doing it—proof they were capable of at least following instructions. The crib was a suitable one, a bit cracked in places near the top but the frame seemed sturdy. There were bite marks along the edge, presumably where Panic's brat had gnawed while teething.

"It'll do," Hades nodded, looking nonplused but Pain and Panic were probably just relieved he wasn't shouting. "You're dismissed."

Pain and Panic ran out the door, the fear of fireballs still engrained in them. Hades sighed at the memory. He used to be a God and now he was stuck on this Isle. The only solace was the fact that he had access to the Underworld to continue to do his job; harboring the souls of the deceased.

A small coo from Mal brought Hades' attention back to the present and he couldn't help but smile. Okay, this was a good reason to be stuck.

"Here's hoping your mom doesn't end up wanting you back," Hades muttered. It was a coin flip with Maleficent, and if Evil Queen ended up using her daughter to try to snatch power from Maleficent's hands the Mistress of Evil might want to use Mal for the same.

The worst part was, on the registry, Mal was Maleficent's and only Maleficent's. If he refused her access to Mal, then she could reach out to someone. On the rare occasion an inspector came to the Isle, she could play whatever card she chose and Hades was sure the idiot would take Mal from him.

After all, with his record, who would believe Mal was actually his and not just some other child he had stolen?

Looking down at his daughter, who was staring back at him with her bright green eyes, all thoughts about the future vanished from Hades' mind. All that mattered was this moment right here.

Maleficent won't try to steal from a God, he thought as he set Mal down in the crib. Now, I need to figure out how to get word to Persephone. I doubt those two morons set up anything for Mal to eat.

Besides, it would probably be better if Persephone had time to stew over the news Hades had a biological daughter with another woman. She'd have time to calm down and Hades wouldn't have to spend some of his precious limited time with her mad at him.

The question was: how?


	2. Chapter 2

Hades was on edge. It had been about a week since he had taken Mal and walked out of Maleficent's life. There had been no sign, no whisper, that Maleficent was planning revenge though Hades knew it was coming.

His ex-wife—oh Gods how he hated referring to her by that title even in his head;no one had known they were married or even together—was not one who was known for acting rashly. After all, it took her sixteen years to enact her curse on Aurora. Hades, on the other hand, was the guy who kidnapped a baby because the little sunspot might have interfered with his plans.

"Mal, I hope you inherit your mother's patience," Hades muttered while holding his daughter. "That being said, your mother never did have much in the way of patience, at least when it came to suffering fools. Just slightly more than I do."

Mal remained silent and Hades sighed. That was another thing keeping him on edge—Mal rarely cried. She'd coo, she'd glare, she'd try and grab his finger if she was particularly annoyed. Almost anything except cry.

"Uh, H-Hades?"

"What?" Hades barked, turning toward his cowering minion with a glare.

"A c-call for you," Panic said, his knees knocking together out of either fear or habit, considering it was hard to be intimidating with a baby in one's arms, and the likelihood of getting hit with anything within arms' reach was low. "From L-Lady P-Persephone."

Hades sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Watch Mal. If she cries, do what you need to so that she stops crying. I want no interruptions."

Panic nodded frantically, taking Mal from Hades, and Hades made his way to another room before shutting the door. This room was completely empty but housed the most important thing to Hades. Well third most important. It housed the portal Persephone used to traverse between Auradon and the Isle.

The only good thing Zeus ever did, Hades thought as he smiled upon seeing his wife. Though the portal could be used to go back and forth, it was only ever fully open every six months. Outside of those months, it could only be used to open a looking glass; allowing them to see and hear each other but not fully embrace the other.

Persephone, though, was the only one who could imitate a call as her powers were not forced into dormancy in Auradon nor were they forced into dormancy when she arrived on the Isle. It was lucky that the barrier was only designed to keep 'evil' magic from working.

"Hades," Persephone smiled upon seeing her husband. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything but I wanted to see you. It's been so long since our last conversation."

"You are never an interruption," Hades told her. "How is life over in Bore-adon? Still perfectly peaceful?"

Persephone shook her head in exasperated amusement at the nickname most of the Isle dwellers had given Auradon. "Queen Belle has given birth to a healthy baby boy, as did Queen Ella, while Princess Aurora gave birth to a healthy baby girl and Queen Rapunzel has given birth to her fifth healthy baby girl. The royal announcements will be going out next week."

"If they're healthy, then why are they waiting to make the announcement?" Hades asked, not really caring about the royal gossip. With all the villains on the Isle, it would make sense that the birth rate in Auradon would spike. Not much else for the heroes to do. "Anyone who would be interested in stealing them is on the Isle after all."

"Probably just a precaution," Persephone said. "After all, babies are quite susceptible to diseases; having no immune system of their own yet. Either that, or they just want a moment of peace with their children before getting hounded by the press for pictures."

Hades nodded; it would make sense that Persephone would know this as her sister Eileithyia was the goddess of childbirth and midwifery.

Wait, what was that she said about babies and disease? Hades thought, thinking of a specific baby in the other room, and tuning back into the conversation.

"Really? Babies don't have their own immune systems?" Hades asked, making a mental note to maim Panic for not telling him this. The little imp had a three year old son, he would have known this. "So, let's say a baby was in an environment where disease was prevalent. How likely would it be that they would get sick?"

"Probably very," Persephone said and gave her husband a kind smile. "Are you worried about the others on the Isle? I know many of them have given birth to their own kids this year."

"You saw the updates to the registry?"

"Of course," Persephone nodded. "Eileithyia is the one who updates it after all, or Hera if Eileithyia is assisting with a birth. How does it feel?"

"Pardon?" Hades asked, his heart stopping for a moment. Did Maleficent actually…

"Being a great-uncle," Persephone elaborated, chuckling a little at the look on her husband's face. "I saw Ursula gave birth."

"Oh," Hades said, a little relieved that Persephone hadn't found out about Mal though the registry. Then again, he didn't know why he had thought any differently. Maleficent had named Mal after her, no sign of her God heritage to be seen in her name.

Maleficent Bertha…Gods what a horrible name. How much of an ego trip did she have to be on to name Mal after herself?

"Hades?"

"Ah, sorry," Hades said upon hearing Persephone's prompting. "Must have gotten lost in thought."

"Over the idea of being a great-uncle?" Persephone chuckled. "Surely you're used to it by now? What with Triton having seven kids and all."

"Well I'm sure I won't have much of a relationship with the little squidling so it doesn't matter," Hades chuckled. "What was Poseidon's reaction to learning he's a grandfather again?"

"I wouldn't know, I haven't seen your brother in a while," Persephone said. "He's been visiting Atlantica as well as Ariel and Eric's kingdom. They just had a child after all."

Hades nodded, not really caring about the comings and goings of his brother. Though it would be funny to give him grief about being a great-grandfather if he ever got off this gods forsaken Isle.

"Steph," Hades said, gathering his nerve. "About the registry…I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Persephone asked, looking at her husband in concern. Hades rarely used her nickname in conversation, preferring to use her full name. Hades took a breath and opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a baby's wail.

"A-Apologizes H-Hades," Panic said as he came in, holding Mal who had deemed that moment the perfect one to let out a rare cry. "I-I tried t-to get her to stop but—"

"Hades?" Persephone asked as Hades snatched Mal from Panic's arms, causing the little imp to scurry out of the room. "Is that a baby?"

"No, it's a Cerberus," Hades said, rolling his eyes as he gently bounced Mal to try to get her to stop her caterwauling. "Of course it's a baby."

"You stole a baby?!"

"Is it really stealing if she's mine?" Hades asked before his brain could come up with a different response. He seemed to realize exactly what he said too late though as Persephone stiffened. Even Mal seemed to realize the seriousness of the conversation as her wails quieted down to whimpers.

"You have a child?" Persephone asked, her voice inquisitive yet hard. "One of the street rats from the Isle? Did you finally take pity on one of them?"

"No," Hades said, not taking the obviously offered out. But he knew Persephone would find out sooner or later that Mal was biologically his. It would be better if it was sooner. "She's mine. By blood."

"But it's not listed in the registry that you have a child," Persephone said, as if hopeful she had successfully proven him wrong. "Believe me, that would have been the talk of Olympus. One of the Big Three having a child? Zeus probably would still be talking about it."

Hades shook his head. "How far did you look on the registry?"

"Not very, Eileithyia only filled me in on what she thought was interesting considering I'll be back on the Isle next month anyway," Persephone told him. "Seeing your name would have been very interesting to her. She spent an hour talking about the fact that Jafar had a son."

"She's listed under her mother's name," Hades said. "Maleficent."

Persephone froze, as if the word had struck her. "You had a child with Maleficent? But she wasn't pregnant when I was on the Isle last."

"Fae pregnancy is shorter than a mortal pregnancy. It only lasted about six months," Hades sighed. "Believe me, there were no feelings involved."

"I have to go," Persephone said suddenly, her voice hard. "I'll see you in a month."

"Steph…"

Persephone ended the call, leaving Hades staring at the wall where the portal resided. Shaking his head, he looked down at his daughter, who was looking back up at him; mischief clear in her bright green eyes.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" Hades asked, with no response but an innocent coo from Mal. Sighing, Hades couldn't help but chuckle. "So that was your step-mother. Hopefully she'll come around. I know one thing, she'll take her frustration out on me and not you."

Persephone would never take her anger out on an innocent child. Then again, one would think the heroes of Auradon wouldn't subject children to the same fate as their parents. Children who had not committed their parents' crimes.

The sounds of stomachs rumbling filled the room and Hades could have smacked himself. Of course Mal was hungry!

"Panic!" Hades bellowed and the little imp came running. While the always nervous minion wasn't the best source of information, he was unfortunately the only other parent Hades had access to and could trust not to betray him. If he went to any one else on the Isle, the risk of them finding out that Mal was his was too great. "What do we have in terms of food for Mal?"

"N-Not m-much, Hades," Panic responded. "I-I think t-the barge came in a-a few days ago t-though. There might be s-some food t-there."

"Well then go out there and find some," Hades growled and Panic ran off, hopefully to follow the command. Mal gigged and Hades had to chuckle.

"Oh you like that Mali?" He asked, looking down at his daughter, making his voice a little softer as to not scare her. "You like it when I yell at Panic? Come on, let's go see if I can't yell at him some more. Maybe I can yell at Pain as well, would you like that?"

The squeals coming from his daughter brought a smile to Hades' face and he walked out of the room to find his minions, temporarily forgetting about his wife's reaction to Mal.

Hopefully she would come around. Otherwise it would be a long six months when Persephone arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a month since his call with Persephone and Hades had not heard a single thing from his wife. Granted, he was sure that she was busy with preparing to relocate to the Isle for six months. But it would have been nice to talk to her.

However, his attention had been diverted about five days before Persephone was due to return. The threat of Maleficent and the worry about his relationship with Persephone were both driven from his mind by the worst possible fear.

"What do you mean she's sick?" Hades asked, glaring at Panic as he emerged from the lower level of the Underworld. Sure the saying was don't shoot the messenger but Hades was sure that saying didn't apply to worried fathers.

"S-She's w-warm to the t-touch—"

Hades got up and walked over to Mal, frowning as he touched her forehead. Mal didn't seem bothered by the touch or by the warmth but Hades was. This didn't seem right. Granted, Hades had rarely been among mortal babies. Gods didn't get sick after all.

Oh gods, what was that saying Apollo used to say whenever he was blathering on about something medicinal? Hades thought as he paced back and forth around his lair. Sweat a fever?

"Panic!"

"Y-Yes?"

Hades glared at the stuttering demon. He hated to do this but he had no choice; if he couldn't remember Apollo's advice, Hades knew he might make whatever Mal had worse and not better. "I need you to go and get Yen Sid. Don't tell him why, only that I need him."

"Yes sir!" Panic said, not stuttering for the first time that conversation and ran off. Hades sighed and shook his head. What had his life become that he was reliant on Panic for help?

At least the wizard would be intelligent enough not to blab the fact that Mal was Hades' all over the Isle. The lone non-villain understood secrecy better than most of them.

I'll have to keep in contact with him. He's been supposedly helping other kids born to magical parents deal with being unable to use their magic. If any one would need assistance with that, it'll be the daughter of a God and Maleficent, Hades thought as he began to walk around his lair, bouncing Mal in his arms as a way to keep himself calm. Mal, meanwhile, was as cool as a cucumber; babbling away. It was probably just a bug after all. There wasn't a month that went by on the Isle where some snot nose rat wasn't sick.

But Persephone's words kept echoing in his head, like an ominous warning. Babies don't have their own immune systems.

"Pain!" Hades bellowed, needing to keep his thoughts in order before he began thinking about other parts of that conversation .

"Coming, your most lugubriousness!" His purple minion called as he ran in. Hades couldn't help but smirk at the title, it was nice to be respected by someone.

"What medical supplies came in the latest shipment from Auradon?" Hades asked, turning to Pain. He didn't want to risk confusing him by using the nickname, even if he hated giving that place any kind of respect by using its proper name.

"There weren't any," Pain said. "At least, not any that were useable and the ones that were were swiped up by anyone who was able."

"What?!"

"I might have been mistaken!" Pain rushed to amend his statement. "I'll go check right now!"

"You do that!" Hades growled and his remaining minion rushed out of the lair, leaving only Hades and Mal, the later of whom broke the silence by giggling.

"You're going to get tired of me yelling at them at some point you know?" Hades asked but only got a bit of mindless babble in response. "How are you so happy? Being hot to the touch like that would cause any other baby to scream their head off, that I'm sure of."

There was no response from Mal, not that Hades expected one. She was barely a month old. Even Wonderbreath wasn't talking at that age.

"Hades?" Panic called and Hades looked up from Mal to see the green annoyance and Yen Sid standing in the middle of his lair.

"You arrived faster than I thought," Hades said, inwardly impressed with Panic but making sure it did not show on his face.

"You have a good assistant," Yen Sid told him. "Would not take no for an answer even when he refused to say who was asking for me, though now I'm to assume it's you."

"You'd be correct," Hades nodded and Panic ran out of the room. Presumably to help Pain but Hades found it was better if he didn't think about what they were doing. He'd be less likely to become enraged at them. Even if it did make Mal happy.

"How can I help you today Lord Hades?" Yen Sid asked and Hades sighed before holding Mal up to him.

"Her temperature just started going up earlier today," Hades explained as Yen Sid looked at him quizzically. "She wasn't fussing so I—"

"A parent's natural inclination is to be worried," Yen Sid told him, feeling Mal's forehead himself. "Hmm, I do agree. She is quite warm. I'm assuming she's yours?"

"You steal one kid and all of a sudden people assume you're kidnapping babies left and right," Hades grumbled before clearing his throat. "Yes, she's mine."

"Are high temperatures normal for gods in infancy?"

Hades paused. That was a good question. "I don't rightly know. My father Kronos ate me when I was born along with most of my siblings, my brother Zeus being the only one of us to avoid that fate. Obviously I wasn't around when he was an infant."

"But you did meet his son," Yen Sid pointed out and Hades had to bite back a growl at the reminder of his nephew. "Was he warmer than a mortal baby would have been?"

"You know, I didn't really notice," Hades said, his face darkening at the memory. "I was a bit more preoccupied with the finger the little brat had just crushed."

Yen Sid nodded as he continued to feel Mal's forehead and neck. "Lord Hades, forgive the intrusion but is it safe to say Lady Persephone is not this babe's mother, considering she appears to be but a month old and Lady Persephone is still in her six months off Isle?"

Hades glared at the wizard for a minute before stiffly nodding his head once, not wanting to think about the conversation he'd had with Persephone again.

"In order to be certain in my hypothesis, I'll need to know the identity of the mother," Yen Sid said. "You'll have my word that it'll stay between you and me."

Hades snorted, a person's word meant next to nothing on the Isle. However, Yen Sid was the only non-villain on the Isle; a 'gift' bestowed onto them by King Beastie. Yen Sid was good to his word, mainly because he rarely spoke to someone unless it was in the classroom or in a one on one setting.

"Maleficent," Hades said shortly and Yen Sid nodded.

"Then, and I can not be certain of this so I would recommend that you watch her for a few days, but it would appear that this is not due to a fever."

Hades stared at the wizard in slight confusion. "She's blazing hot. How could that be related to anything but an illness?"

Yen Sid straightened up and looked at him. "Think it over. The answer may appear obvious once you do."

"You know I could do without the vagueness," Hades told him but paused for a second. "This temperature, it couldn't be related to her magic. She's a month old."

"She's part Fae," Yen Sid stated. "Unless you feel comfortable asking Maleficent about her infancy, we must go off of what we know. As well, it's safe to assume that Gods come into their powers early in life, going off of the comment you made about your finger. Until more symptoms arrive, it is safe to assume that your daughter is not suffering from any illness. At least if she is, it is not one I'm familiar with."

Hades wanted to explode with rage; this was the best the wizard could come up with? Yet it was no use. Yen Sid had a point; Mal had no other symptoms that could be attributed to any illness.

There would be nothing he could do but wait.

"Yen Sid," Hades said and the wizard turned to face him. "I'll contact you if anything changes."

Yen Sid nodded. "I wouldn't expect anything else."

With that, the wizard turned on his heel and left; leaving only Hades and Mal standing in the room.

"You're going to keep me on my toes, aren't you?" Hades asked, rocking Mal a little. Shaking his head, Hades began moving to the guest room. "Come on, let's make up the bed here. Something tells me your dad's still in the Cerberus house with your step mom."

The five days seemed to go by faster than Hades expected and before he knew it, the day of Persephone's arrival had come. Not that Hades realized it of course. In fact, he missed his wife's arrival completely.

"Hades?" Persephone called as she stepped through the portal; her arms ladened with bags despite the fact that she kept six months worth of stuff on the Isle at all times. While she was still upset with her husband, the brief glimpse she had of Mal had warmed her heart; and she wasn't as mad as she had been when she ended the call with Hades. It wasn't as if he was living with Maleficent.

But more importantly she was not going to let an innocent baby suffer for the actions of her father.

"Lady Persephone!" Pain exclaimed as he walked past the portal room.

"Hello Pain," Persephone said, giving the little imp a kind smile. "Have you seen Hades? He's normally here when I arrive."

I hope he isn't avoiding me, she thought with an inward frown. Isn't it supposed to be me giving him the cold shoulder? Though I guess I already did that with a month of not calling him.

"He's in the den," Pain said, pointing in that direction. Persephone nodded and thanked Pain, before going to greet Hades. The sight she saw had to be the most adorable one she thought possible. Her husband, the big scary lord of the underworld, was lying on their battered sofa fast asleep; Mal sleeping on his chest.

Setting her bags down as quietly as she could, Persephone fished a camera out of her pocket and snapped a quick picture. She knew, at one point, they were going to want to have that.

The flash from the camera, though, seemed to wake Hades as he groaned a little and opened his eyes. "Steph?" He asked, blinking the sleep away.

"Hello dear," she said, leaning down to give him a kiss on the cheek. He looked so adorable, with his sleep tossed hair and his eyes still blinking away the sleep, that she couldn't resist. "I'm home."

"Are you still—"

"Shh," Persephone said, resting a finger to Hades' lips. She was still upset, of course she was. But she didn't want to have that conversation around Mal while she was sleeping. As the saying went, you never wake a sleeping dragon. Or baby.

Though in this case, I guess it would be a baby dragon, Persephone thought before she could stop it and mentally shook her head to clear her thoughts. The little baby on her husband's chest didn't deserve it.

Brushing her hand over the light waifs of purple hair that were starting to grow in, Persephone frowned as she felt Mal's forehead.

"Hades, she's—"

"You're a bit late to the party," Hades said, covering a yawn with his mouth. "Yen Sid believes it's her magic, not an illness."

"You spoke to Yen Sid?" Persephone asked, slightly taken aback.

"She was hot to the touch, Steph. What was I going to do?" Hades told her. "I mean, I would have talked to you but there was that whole month without contact you were doing."

Persephone nodded, not wanting to comment lest she raise her voice and therefore wake Mal. "Should she be put down for a nap?"

"I thought I did," Hades chuckled and carefully got up off the sofa. Thankfully the shifting didn't wake Mal and Hades was able to carry her to her room without much trouble. Setting her down in her crib, Hades closed the door.

"You're to get me immediately if she wakes," he growled to Panic, who nodded. Persephone was impressed that Panic had seemed to know he was needed. The two of them walked back to the den, where Persephone had left her bags.

"Steph, what is all this?" Hades asked as he unpacked them.

"Formula, diapers, toys, medicine if it's ever needed," Persephone told him. "A few onesies I thought were cute but had to get multiple sizes in case they were too big or too small for Mal."

Hades looked over at his wife in shock.

"What?" Persephone asked.

"Nothing," Hades told her, going back to unloading the bags.

"You honestly thought I would take my anger toward you out on Mal?" Persephone asked, aghast. "Hades—"

"You turned Minthe into a mint plant because I liked her," Hades said. "Excuse me if I was unsure how you'd react toward the child I had with another woman."

Persephone sighed. There wasn't much she could say to that. "Minthe thought herself to be superior to me," Persephone said. "An ego that large needed to be checked. Mal, though, did not ask to be born. She is innocent in all of this."

"Does this mean—?"

"You're still in the Cerberus house," Persephone told him but gave him a small smile. "But I am looking forward to spending time with Mal."

"Hopefully the Underworld is still standing with the two of you in league with each other," Hades chuckled. Things were starting to look up a bit.


	4. Chapter 4

The next couple of months flew by and before Hades knew it, he and Persephone had fallen into a routine of parenthood. While things were still a little chilly between the adults in that Hades was sleeping in the guest room, Persephone had taken a shine to Mal.

It was rare that the Goddess of Vegetation was without Mal in her arms; the only time she forwent holding Mal was when Persephone would take a walk around the Isle. It wasn't because she wanted to leave the baby behind, but it was too big of a risk. Everyone knew she lived with Hades. By now, everyone on the Isle would have at least heard of Hades grabbing Maleficent's child.

While most of the citizens of the Isle were moronic, there were a select few who had more than two brain cells to rub together. There was nothing more dangerous than an aggravated Maleficent and if she saw Persephone walking around with Mal, it would not be a pleasant result.

That didn't mean anything inside Hades' lair. When they were inside, it was as if the Isle didn't exist.

"Hi Mali," Persephone cooed as she carried the young demi-Goddess around, the purple haired Fae squealing in delight. "Aww! You're so happy! Yes you are! Who's the prettiest girl in the Underworld?"

Hades walked up and couldn't help but smile at the sight. His wife had never looked better, with her long brown hair tied up in a messy bun, her body clad in a sweatshirt and sweatpants that Mal had spit up on about five times since Persephone got to the Isle, and just walking Mal around the den; his daughter's thick purple hair messy from sleep. Hades leaned against the doorframe and took in the sight.

"Enjoying the view?" Persephone asked as she caught sight of him and giving him a small smile.

"I was," Hades nodded, returning the smile. "What are you two ladies up to?"

"Mali's up from her nap and wanted to see the den," Persephone told him. "I was going to grab one of the toys I brought for her from Auradon but my hands were full with Mal."

"I'll get it," Hades told her, still leaning on the doorframe and making no indication that he was actually going to grab the toy. "Which one were you thinking of grabbing?"

Persephone gave him a small smile. Ever since she'd returned from Auradon, Hades had been at her beck and call when he wasn't working down in the Underworld; as if trying to prove to her that she was the only woman who had his heart. Even if Persephone knew that wasn't true.

Every father's heart one hundred percent belonged to one woman: their daughter—and Persephone was completely fine with that as Mal had stolen her heart as well.

"Steph?" Hades asked, his voice breaking into her thoughts. "Can't really get the toy if I don't know which one you're looking for."

"Oh sorry," Persephone said, shaking her head to clear it. "It's a small half dome type thing with items that dangle down so Mal can bat at them while lying on her back. I still need to set the thing up though."

Hades nodded and chuckled. "Look behind the sofa, dear."

Persephone frowned and took a peek only to find the item she'd described already put together.

"I found the box in the guest room the other day, half kicked under the bed. Thought it had fallen out of one of the bags you brought," Hades said when Persephone looked over at him in shock. "You'd fallen asleep so I thought it'd be a good idea to put it together. Just in case."

"That's so sweet," Persephone told him as Hades walked into the room. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone. I know you've got a reputation to protect."

Hades shook his head and chuckled. "No one would believe you if you said anything anyway. But thank you."

"Here you go Mali," Persephone cooed as she shifted Mal so that she was holding her with one arm and grabbed the toy from behind the sofa. "Hades, could you—"

Her husband had already known what she was going to ask as he had laid out a blanket Persephone had purchased a couple of years ago. It was getting a little run down but it still would serve its purpose.

"You know, I could get used to this," Persephone told him, a small smirk forming on her face. "This mind reading thing you have going on."

"You've asked for this blanket at least three times today already," Hades said, a little smirk pulling at his lips as he watched from his spot behind the sofa. "I thought I'd save the trouble and assume this was what you were asking for."

Persephone chuckled and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she said as she laid Mal down under the top of the dome. Her step-daughter seemed to be confused as to the purpose of it as she just laid under it.

"I think Mal doesn't want to play," Hades chuckled and walked over to them.

"Maybe if we move one of the dangly bits?" Persephone asked, moving the closest one to try to attract Mal's attention. "I don't understand, all the new parents in Auradon love this. Maybe it's not set up right?"

"Well, Mal's not an Auradon baby," Hades said, scooping up his daughter who began squealing with delight as Hades started to bounce her, the hood of her dragon onesie flopping off her head from where it had landed when she was on her back. Hades honestly didn't know where Persephone managed to get a purple dragon onesie in Auradon, or how she managed to avoid anyone asking questions about it since she hadn't mentioned anyone being curious about the purchase, but he had to admit that Mal was extremely adorable wearing it.. "Right now, she gets her entertainment from me yelling at Pain or Panic."

"You can't do that all the time. You do have an Underworld to run."

"Yeah, well, Pain and Panic aren't totally moronic," Hades said. "They may have failed with Wonderbreath but they have been actually very good with Mal."

"Maybe because they're afraid of you?" Persephone ventured, not showing any reaction to Hades' nickname for Hercules. It was clear that there was no love lost between the uncle and nephew. "It would be a good idea not to call him that around Mal."

"Why?" Hades scoffed. "It's not as if she'd ever meet him."

"Still, she is his cousin," Persephone said. "If Mal ever gets off the Isle, Hercules would be a good ally for her to have, especially if it's during the six months I'm on Isle."

Hades shook his head; his wife was an amazing woman but she seemed to only see the positives in life. Maybe it came from only having to spend half a year on the Isle instead of the rest of her life.

"You really think King Beastie will allow the kids off the Isle? He probably thinks the kids deserve to be here," Hades said and Persephone shook her head. They'd had this conversation multiple times throughout the four years the Isle had been created.

"How was your walk today?" Hades asked, obviously changing the subject but Persephone didn't than dredging up an old conversation that would only end up with them fighting.

"As pleasant as always," Persephone told him. "No one really bothers me on the walks. Probably helps that my powers aren't suppressed by the barrier so they know I'm not defenseless."

"Plus you've been here for the life of the Isle," Hades pointed out. "By this point, even the most moronic henchmen knows you're associated with me."

Persephone chuckled. "Oh, associated am I? Is that all I am to you?"

"Oh I'm sorry," Hades said with a small smirk. "I should have said beloved, shouldn't I?"

"Much better," Persephone said and got up to give Hades a kiss. At least she would have if Mal hadn't moved her head so that it was between Persephone's lips and Hades'.

"Oh we have got to work on your timing, young lady," Hades shook his head in amusement.

"She just wants to be the only girl in her dad's life," Persephone told him with a kind smile on her face as she ran her fingers through Mal's hair. "Either that, or she's annoyed that you stopped bouncing her. She seemed to really like that."

"Well Mali, it's time for lunch," Hades said as they walked into the kitchen. "Steph, that formula you brought has been a lifesaver."

"I brought some extra from Auradon as well," Persephone said, sitting down by the counter in the kitchen as Hades set Mal up with a bottle. "I know how scarce food is here and the last thing I want is for a baby to suffer because of it."

"Are you thinking of—"

"Yes Hades," Persephone nodded. "I won't give it to Maleficent or any of her allies, but I will make it available among the Isle. If need be, I'll give it to Jafar and he can sell it."

"That's not a bad idea," Hades said. "Except people will wonder where Jafar got it. Last thing we would want is for it to be linked back to you. They'll wonder why you're buying formula."

Persephone sighed. "I know. If you want, I can just keep it here and you can decide what to do with it. I know the amount I brought for Mal should last around a year so you shouldn't run out when I have to go back to Auradon."

"That should be more than enough," Hades said. "Didn't that baby book you read say Mal should be on more solid foods by then?"

"Every baby's different Hades," Persephone reminded him. "Remember that book was talking about mortal babies. I don't think there's a baby book that would tell you the milestones of a half Fae, half god baby."

Hades snorted in amusement as he fished out a napkin to wipe off Mal's mouth as she had spit up some of the formula. "If I was so inclined, I could talk to Maleficent about her life growing up to see when the Fan hit certain milestones. But I'm not inclined to do that. In fact I'm more inclined to stay on my end of the Isle than talk to Maleficent."

"That does seem to be the safer option," Persephone nodded as Mal babbled happily in the background. "I'll include some solid baby food my next six months. Just to be on the safe side."

"Oh and some more of those crackers that are shaped like animals? I know Mal can't eat them yet but Pain and Panic love them. They're good rewards for when they haven't completely messed something up."

"I'll add them to the list," Persephone said with a chuckle. "Besides, the next time I'm here, Mal might actually be old enough to eat them."

The smile faltered from her face as she realized how much of Mal's life she would actually miss being off the Isle for six months. She knew it was the arrangement she and Hades had but now that there was a child involved, it didn't seem fair.

"Steph?" Hades asked, noticing the frown and how quiet his wife had gotten. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Persephone nodded. "I was just thinking about how much of Mal's life I'll be missing when I'm off the Isle."

Hades nodded and picked Mal up from the counter. "Well I know it won't be the same but she'll be on every call you make unless she's napping. Plus it's the Isle, not much ever changes around here."

"I know," Persephone sighed. "But she's going to be growing up and I'll miss a bunch of it being in Auradon. It's not fair to her."

Hades chuckled softly. "She's a child of the Isle of the Lost. When has life ever been fair to them?"

Persephone frowned but she couldn't deny her husband had a point. However, before she could say anything, a smell hit her nose and she had to shake her head. "Dear? I think Mal needs to be changed."

"I think you might be right," Hades nodded, wrinkling his nose as the smell wafted into his nostrils. "Let's go Mali. I think it's time for a fresh diaper."

Persephone smiled as Hades and Mal turned the corner, Mal's babbles fading off. Sighing, Persephone got up to join her husband. She loved every moment she could get with Mal and with Hades. She wouldn't trade them for anything.

Little did they know the storm cloud that was about to cover their sunshine.


	5. Chapter 5

Sometimes storm clouds roll in gradually over time, giving people time to prepare for the incoming storm. However, other times the storm clouds appear without warning; blotting out the sun and drenching the people below.

For Hades and Persephone, their storm cloud was the later; appearing without warning one evening during Persephone's fourth month on the Isle. The two gods had just set Mal down for the night, Hades giving Pain and Panic the orders to alert him should she wake, and the two of them were relaxing in the den.

"You know, I should bring a baby monitor the next time I'm on Isle," Persephone said, her head resting on Hades' shoulder. "That way, Pain and Panic won't have to constantly monitor Mal."

"I think they like it," Hades said, running his fingers through her hair. "Well Pain more so than Panic. I think he'd rather be with his own son."

"Panic has a son?" Persephone asked, looking up at Hades.

"Yeah, with Vanessa," Hades nodded. "Kid's about three years old than Mal. I should probably introduce the two of them at some point; kid might be a good minion for her."

Persephone shook her head. "Dear, the child will be older than Mal. Do you really think he'll want to take orders from someone younger than him?"

"Considering Mal's half god and he's half whatever Panic is, he should," Hades said.

Persephone rolled her eyes. "If Mal has to have henchpeople, they should be closer to her age or younger. That way, if the time comes, she won't have to worry about them questioning why they're taking orders from someone younger than them and overthrowing her."

Hades nodded. "That's a good point, I hadn't considered that."

"That's why we're a team," Persephone told him. "You don't have to think of things by yourself anymore."

Hades smiled and leaned down to kiss Persephone on the forehead. As he leaned back up, he paused as he thought he had heard a thunk in the distance.

"Everything okay?" Persephone asked, noticing his pause.

"Thought I heard something," Hades said as he sat back up. "Probably just Pain and Panic. Pain was always hurting himself before we got locked on this Isle."

"They wouldn't risk waking up Mal though," Persephone reminded him, sitting up herself. "Not unless something was wrong."

"We're close enough to Mal's room that we'd hear…" Hades started to say but trailed off as he heard the tell tale sound of a baby crying. Mal rarely if ever cried. Something was wrong. Looking at Persephone in panic, Hades vaulted over the sofa and raced to Mal's room. Though it was only a few rooms down from the den, it felt like it took an eternity to reach Mal's room.

Wrenching open the door, Hades stood in the doorway in shock. Lying on the ground, knocked out, were his two moronic minions and an empty crib lying on its side. Slowly walking into the room, Hades went for Mal's crib. There, lying on the pillow that had been tossed out of the crib and was lying next to it, was a solitary black feather.

"She's gone?" Persephone gasped from the doorway, Hades' longer legs had made it so he had beaten his wife to Mal's room despite the both of them leaving the sofa at the same time. "But…who would steal a child? A God's child?"

Hades shook his head slowly; sometimes his wife's positive outlook on things was appreciated. This was not one of those times. Taking the feather from the pillow, he turned around to look at Persephone.

"I'll give you three guesses," he growled, trying his best not to crush the feather in his fists as he held it up for Persephone to see. It was their only evidence that his ex-wife had stolen his child.

"Maleficent?!" Persephone exclaimed. "Does she have a death wish?"

"If she doesn't, she soon will," Hades growled, marching out of the room. Persephone, though, quickly stood in front of her irate husband.

"Wait, wait," she said. "I'll get her. Maleficent won't just hand Mal over to you; not after just stealing her from us. Plus, I have more access to my powers than you do. As well, no one on the Isle knows you're Mal's father so it'll be safer."

"Steph, everyone knows you stay here in your six months on Isle," Hades told her, slamming his fist into the stone wall. "Besides, you don't think Maleficent hasn't implemented every security feature at her disposal? I don't believe this—she shoved Mal into my hands all those months ago and now she steals her from me?!"

"So what? We just leave her with that evil lunatic of a witch?!" Persephone exclaimed, silent tears running down her face. "You know what'll happen, we'll never see Mal again."

Hades sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you think if I could steal Mal back, I would? But even if I flamed up to the limited amount I can here, there's the risk of hurting Mal. You and I both know Maleficent would not consider that to be a bad thing."

"What if I updated the registry when I go back to Auradon?" Persephone suggested as she started to pace, clearly grasping at straws as she tried to think of ideas to get Mal back. "That way, you'd have a legal right to petition Auradon to get Mal back safely. Olympus alone would stand with you."

"Who would believe it?" Hades asked. "The main reason I am on the Isle is for kidnapping a child. All Maleficent would have to do is claim that I stole Mal from her and that she was just stealing Mal back. The matter would be closed. Add in the fact that the child I kidnapped was Zeus'. Do you honestly think my brother would stand with me on this matter? He'd probably think I deserve it."

"Athena would at least! She's always been reasonable!"

"Athena won't do anything if Zeus isn't on board," Hades said, rubbing Persephone's arm and wiping away her tears. Sighing, he brought his wife into an embrace wishing he could say anything that sounded like a plan and less like a desperate parent. He wasn't used to this, this feeling of helplessness. So this is how Zeus felt all those years ago, he thought.

"What's Maleficent going to do to her?" Persephone asked after a few minutes, breaking from the hug. "What does she want with her now anyway? As you said, she shoved her into your arms! That's a pretty clear message of 'I don't want her'!"

"Who knows how her foul mind works?" Hades growled as he started to pace; taking care not to step on the unconscious forms of Pain or Panic. "Besides, if it got around the Isle that I had managed to steal Mal from her, she'd do anything to disprove it, even if just to protect her reputation. She probably only wants Mal to get back at me. For leaving her, for stealing Mal, because it's Tuesday…take your pick."

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair once more to try to calm his racing nerves. "I don't think Maleficent will kill Mal though. Not after all the trouble she went through to steal her. After all, she'd want to prove the rumor mill wrong. Can't do that with a dead child. Nor can she raise Mal to be the next Mistress of All Evil if Mal's dead either."

"Not to mention you'd know if Mal was dead. She'd be in the Underworld," Persephone told him. "Maleficent would do everything in her power to keep you from seeing Mal again. Whether alive or dead."

Hades nodded, not trusting himself to speak but he knew his wife had a point.

"You know perfectly well that Zeus would consider this an act of war if he knew," Persephone told him, wiping the tears from her cheeks, as she searched for a reason to go after Mal.

"And if I hadn't stolen his child, he'd probably hear me out," Hades said. "His joy over being a grandfather from Wonderbreath probably would have removed some of the negative feelings toward me regarding the attempted takeover of Olympus. But I stole his kid. To him, this is karma rearing her ugly head."

"He's not unreasonable," Persephone said, resting a hand on Hades' cheek. "I could try to petition Hercules to speak to Zeus in my stead. Mal is his cousin after all."

"After what I did to his little nut-Meg, you honestly think he would actually petition his father in my defense?!"

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Well what can we do then? I won't just stand here and do nothing while Mal suffers at the hands of that maniac!"

"Steph, as much as I'd love to talk to my brother, the fact remains that according to the registry, I have no claim to Mal. Even though she's mine by right, Auradon won't see it like that. Never mind the fact that it takes two to tango as it were. If we're lucky, they'd hear me out and take Mal from Maleficent. But then there's the risk that Beastie and Belle might think Mal's safety is too much at risk on Isle and they decide she's better off growing up in Auradon."

"They wouldn't—"

"Look, Maleficent is supposed to be dead," Hades growled, cutting off whatever point his wife was going to make. "Gaston is supposed to be dead. Evil Queen, Scar, Clayton, Frollo…dead, dead, dead, dead. If the good people of Auradon think death is too good for villains, then I have no doubt they'd take a child from her parents."

"There has to be a way that we can get her back," Persephone said as she returned to her pacing. "What is the point of being Gods if we can't get Mal back from a fairy, even one as powerful as Maleficent?"

Hades sighed and shook his head. "Steph, as much as it pains me to say it, but for Mal's safety we might be better off—"

"Don't you dare say we're better off not doing anything Hades!" Persephone growled, turning to glare at her husband.

"I don't like it anymore than you do!" Hades told her. "But Maleficent, as I said before, will have implemented every security device at her disposal by now. Not to mention the risk to Mal if it gets out that she's my daughter. She already has to live with the reputation of being Maleficent's daughter, adding a god linage only widens the target on her back."

Persephone sighed and Hades pulled her into a hug once more. It was the only thing he could think to do. Well the only thing that wouldn't result in Maleficent being a pile of ash and bones.

"I hate not doing anything," Persephone whispered, her voice muffled by Hades' chest.

"I do too," he told her. "But even if we don't do anything now, Mal won't be a baby forever. There will come a day when Maleficent won't care that Mal's walking around the Isle by herself. Maleficent won't be able to stop me from going up and talking to her."

"You'll need to be careful," Persephone told him as she looked up, her eyes shining with hope she dare not speak out loud. "Maleficent has eyes everywhere. Oh how I hate the fact that Fairy Godmother took pity on that raven of her's and released him from his stone state before the barrier was erected."

"That would explain the feather," Hades said with a nod. "From what I had heard, I thought that little pest was still doing its best Medusa impersonation."

Persephone couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips. "Be serious Hades," she said though a smile still appeared. "The Underworld is the only place safe from Maleficent's spies."

"Clearly not since her little gremlins managed to sneak in here," Hades grumbled but shook his head. Now was not the time to argue. "I know you're worried Steph but don't forget. Maleficent may have her eyes everywhere but so do I."

Persephone gave him a look before looking over at Pain and Panic, who were still knocked out on the stone floor, before looking back at Hades and raising an eyebrow.

"If you're referring to your new floor decorations, I seem to remember that you call them morons at least three times a day. And that's when you want to be polite to them."

"They may be morons but they're my morons," Hades told her before shaking his head once more. "But I"m not talking about them. Mal's my daughter, her connection to me means she's connected to the ember. I can watch her from here and Maleficent would never need to know."

Persephone nodded before sighing. "While that's a little better than your minions, I'm not sure how much good it'll do. All it'll do is drive you mad, watching through that ember and not doing anything."

"I know," Hades sighed as well. "But it's the best plan we've got that ensures Mal's safety."

Looking around the room, Hades couldn't help but frown as he thought of what could have been. "Let's go back to the den," he said softly. He really didn't feel like continuing to stand in his daughter's empty room.

They would get her back. Someday soon. The storm clouds wouldn't last forever.


	6. Chapter 6

Hades sighed as he walked past the empty nursery; the crib still lying on its side. It had been two weeks since Maleficent had stolen Mal back and Hades hadn't had the heart to clean the room. It was if it had been frozen in time, the only difference being the lack of feather on Mal's pillow. Hades had put that away for safe keeping in case he ever needed to bring up an accusation against Maleficent.

Persephone had been avoiding Mal's former room as if it had been the plague but Hades couldn't fault his wife for that. Every time he came across one of the toys Persephone had brought for Mal from Auradon scattered on the floor of the den, his heart broke.

Was there something more I could be doing? He thought as he closed the door to the nursery. He didn't know how it had opened; he had given orders to Pain and Panic that the room was not to be disturbed.

His minions had been making themselves scarce ever since Mal had been taken; what normally took one angry bellow of their name now took at the very least three before they would rear their heads. Persephone had suggested that maybe they thought Hades blamed them for Mal getting kidnapped—after all, they were in the room.

Pain and Panic versus Maleficent's goblins, Hades thought as he made his way to the kitchen. Unless they had their shape shifting abilities, Pain and Panic would be toast. I heard the stories about how exuberant those goblins were in tying up Phillip. As much as I hate to compliment a hero, Phillip seems like he's fairly competent from the reports Persephone brings back from Auradon.

He grabbed a chipped mug from the cupboard and sighed as he put the water on for tea. The tea helped; it gave him something to do that didn't involve hunting down his ex-wife and eviscerating her to the point that her soul wouldn't even wind up in the Underworld. Well, or at least that's what happens in Hades' dreams. But then he has to wake up and remember that anything he did would potentially put Mal at risk.

For not the first time since Mal had been taken, Hades cursed the fact that he was on this gods forsaken Isle. If he had been in Bore-adon, he could have petitioned Zeus. Actually, it wouldn't have even gotten to that point since Hades would have had full access to his chariot and his powers. Cerberus would have liked using Maleficent as a chew toy, Hades thought with a grim smile as the water boiled.

"Your water's ready," Persephone's soft voice broke Hades from his thoughts. He turned around to see his wife standing in the doorway. It was a rare sight for Persephone to be out of their room; the inability to do anything seemed to be affecting her more than Hades thought possible.

"Can I make you a cup?" Hades asked, reaching up on the shelf to get her one of the few non-chipped mugs that she had brought from Auradon a couple of years ago.

"No thank you," Persephone said and sighed. "I'll be up at all hours otherwise. That's the last thing I need right now."

Hades nodded as he poured the water over his tea. He would have preferred loose tea but the tea bags were easier to fish out of the barge deliveries.

"I wish I knew what brand that was," Persephone said as she leaned over on the counter. "I'd be able to get you a box of fresh bags in Auradon."

"I'm used to these," Hades told her. Sure the tea was weaker than it should have been but it was still tea.

Persephone frowned. "I know, but it'd be nice to be useful for something. I haven't heard anything from the gossip chain regarding Maleficent when I go on my walks. Then again maybe no news is good news."

"She's still holed up in her castle," Hades told her. "I've been keeping an eye on Mal through the ember."

"How does she look?" Persephone asked, leaning on the counter as if trying to hang on Hades' every word. Hades didn't blame her; his favorite time of day was quickly becoming the hours he spent staring through his ember keeping an eye on his daughter.

"If Maleficent's hurt her, I can't see any proof of it," Hades told her, knowing who Persephone was referring to. "Overall Mal looks fine."

"Could Maleficent have turned over a new leaf?" Persephone asked, her voice so soft that Hades almost thought his wife was talking to herself. "I've heard stories in Auradon of new mothers not connecting with their children after birth. Maybe…"

"Steph," Hades said gently, taking his wife's hand and holding it gently in his. "I know where your thoughts are going but you're forgetting something. It's Maleficent we're talking about. She doesn't have a maternal bone in her body."

"I know," Persephone told him, looking into his eyes. The pain in her eyes broke Hades' heart; how he wished he could take this pain from her or to be the only one who felt it. If there had to be a silver lining in all this, it was that Persephone was here and Hades could comfort her as needed. If Maleficent had stolen Mal when Persephone was in Auradon, Hades didn't know what he would have done. "But I need to have hope."

Hades frowned and set his mug down. Walking around the counter, he enveloped his wife up into a hug. "Maleficent will let her guard down at some point," he told Persephone. "We'll get Mal back."

"But when?" Persephone asked as she looked up at him, tears beginning to well in the corner of her eyes. "And what will Mal be like when we do get her back? Maleficent will twist all the sweetness in Mal and turn it into a perchance for evil."

Hades sighed. "Then we'll just have to get her back before that happens. It won't be in the next couple weeks though. Maleficent's evil but she's not stupid. She's not going to leave a baby alone with just her goblins to guard her. Those fools spent sixteen years looking for Aurora thinking she was still a baby after all."

"You have a point," Persephone sighed. "Still, that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"If you did like it, I'd have to start worrying about you," Hades told her, brushing a bit of her brown hair behind her ear.

"It'd be too much to hope that we get her back before I have to go to Auradon, right?"

Hades sighed and nodded. "I can do my best but Mal's only four months old. Small enough to easily snatch as Maleficent's imbecilic minions proved two weeks ago."

"Have…have you given any thought to my suggestion?" Persephone asked, her voice soft. "Of petitioning Zeus for help?"

"The question is how much help would he be?" Hades asked her. "Yes, he's the king of the Gods. Yes, he's my brother. Yes, Zeus loves a good fight. But for me? Right now? There's a much higher possibility that Zeus would say no. Not to mention the target it would put on Mal's back if Zeus did step in. It would let the Isle know that I was her father."

"But it would also tell the Isle that Mal isn't someone to be messed with," Persephone countered. "The Gods don't get involved with the affairs of mortals for just anyone after all."

Hades sighed. "If it makes you feel better, go ahead and talk with Zeus when you get back to Auradon," he told her. "But I wouldn't expect any assistance from my brother."

"Hades, I don't care about the sibling drama. I'm just trying to find a way I can help Mal," Persephone told him. "My powers aren't suppressed here the way the other residents are but the urban setting does me no good. You can flame up to a limited degree but that risks hurting Mal if you went for her."

"Not to mention that would be what Maleficent would be expecting," Hades told her before walking back around the counter and taking a sip of his tea. He realized too late that he he had left it out for too long without drinking it—it had basically become cold leaf juice.

"You could just heat it up again," Persephone pointed out as Hades went to go and pour the tea out.

"Have you ever had reheated tea after it's gone cold?" Hades asked her and Persephone shook her head in amusement before letting out a small yawn.

"Sorry," she said as the yawn faded. "Guess I didn't sleep very well last night."

Hades frowned. Persephone hadn't been sleeping well for the past fourteen nights. "Go take a nap Steph."

"But—"

"When we get Mal back, you won't be any use to her if you're dead on your feet," Hades pointed out, cutting off any argument that was forthcoming from his wife. "Go on. I can manage the Underworld by myself for a couple of hours."

Persephone sighed but walked around the counter to give Hades a kiss on the cheek. "Don't work too hard," she said softly. "You won't be any used to Mal either if you're dead on your feet as well."

She walked out of the kitchen and Hades watched her turn the corner. Once he heard the door to their bedroom close, he made his way to the portal room. Unbeknownst to Persephone, Hades had moved a small chair in there so that he'd be able to sit while watching Mal.

It made it a lot harder to run out of the room to kill his ex-wife if he constantly had to spring to his feet.

Sitting down, Hades pulled the ember out of his pocket and stared into it. The limited magic he had allowed him to be able to power the ember and look into it to see his daughter. The sight he saw though was not a pleasant one. The onesie Mal had been wearing looked torn and dirty, as if she hadn't been changed out of it for the past two weeks. Knowing Maleficent, that was probably the case.

She didn't look like she'd lost weight but Hades was sure Maleficent wouldn't be feeding her or hunting down the right food for Mal to eat. From the scene in front of Hades, it was clear that Maleficent barely deemed it necessary to hold Mal.

She's a baby, not a bomb Maleficent, Hades thought as Maleficent held Mal at an arm's length away from her, the cries coming from his daughter breaking Hades' heart as Maleficent's nails seemed to pierce Mal's skin. That had to hurt as Maleficent curled her fists in anger, only increasing the pressure of the nails digging into his daughter's skin.

"Stop wailing!" Maleficent ordered but Mal continued to cry. Maleficent glared at Mal but the glare failed to quiet Mal's caterwauling. "Nothing but pathetic cries for the past two weeks! How did I wind up with such a weak daughter?"

That's my girl, Hades couldn't help but think; the thought entering his mind before he could stop it. While he was happy that Mal was annoying Maleficent by not doing what she wanted, Hades couldn't help but worry about what Maleficent would do in retaliation.

The woman cursed an infant because the infant's parents failed to invite her to a party, after all.

As Mal's wails refused to diminish, Maleficent seemed to grow more and more agitated. Finally dropping Mal in what looked like a makeshift crib but was really just an extra wide crate that hadn't had the bottom rot through yet, the Mistress of All Evil stormed out; slamming the door behind her.

Seeing Mal left alone in a dark room, crying at the top of her lungs and wearing a filthy onesie and possibly a diaper that was close to bursting, only fueled Hades' anger toward his ex-wife. Mal was his daughter! Was Maleficent just that cruel or was she mistreating Mal as yet another way to get back at Hades for leaving her?

Hang on Mali, Hades thought. I will get you back. Someday.

Outside the Underworld, the already overcast sky seemed to grow darker and darker until every bit of sky seemed to be covered. The few Isle dwellers who resided by Hades' lair gave the gate a wary glance. He was one of the most powerful people on the Isle even with his magic mostly dampened by the barrier; if he was angry it probably wouldn't be a good time to be on the lower end of the Isle hierarchy.

They could only hope that his anger wouldn't last for too long.


	7. Chapter 7

Hades had to smirk as he strolled through the streets of the Isle, making his way over to Pirate's Cove. The sight of the underlings diving out of his path never failed to amuse him. It was, however, some of the only joy he could get.

It had been five years since Maleficent had stolen Mal from him and Hades had yet to see a possible way of taking his daughter back. That didn't mean he hadn't come up with plans; it just meant that all the plans he came up with were a guaranteed failure. Hey, there was a reason why Athena was the Goddess of Strategy and not Hades.

He'd even considered borrowing from the Trojans but there wasn't time to build a giant wooden dragon that would allow him to sneak into Maleficent's castle. Besides, Maleficent was a horrible waste of oxygen but she wasn't an idiot. She'd be able to see a trap coming.

So Hades waited and waited, for five years; trying to come up with a plan that would work.

It never came.

Persephone, true to her word, had attempted to reach out to Zeus during one of her six month stays in Auradon but Zeus wouldn't hear it. Hades couldn't blame his brother for that; there was no proof Mal was his other than Hades' word which probably meant close to nothing to Zeus right now.

So there was no help coming from Auradon, and no help coming from Olympus. If Hades was desperate enough, he could join one of the cliques that had developed among the residents of the Isle. But he was not desperate. Not in the slightest.

The day I join forces with the likes of Clayton, Frollo or Scar will be the day Beast starts letting people off this Isle, Hades thought with an inward grimace. Jafar would be tolerable, if only because we'd worked together in the past trying to best Hercules and Aladdin. But he's joined forces with Maleficent and it'll be a cold day in my underworld before I sign up to be one of her minions.

So Hades walked alone, being one of the few Isle residence to forgo a clique. Despite this, however, no one bothered the God. It was one of the few benefits of being the God of the Dead, even if the ingrates on the Isle always called him the God of Death.

Hey, if it gets them to leave me alone they can call me whatever they want, Hades thought as he watched some of the younger kids of the Isle run around on the docks. They looked to be around five or six, though Hades knew looks could be misleading.

The quality of the food that was being sent to the Isle each month had quickly deteriorated to the point where most of it was inedible. The rare edible items would quickly be snatched up by Maleficent as she ran the Isle. Everyone in her clique benefited from the arrangement while everyone else on the Isle suffered.

If Hades was a more naive person (or a more naive God), he might think it was a good thing that Maleficent had Mal because at least then she'd be able to get some decent food. But Hades knew there was a slim chance his daughter was getting anything more than what she needed to survive.

It was partially because of the deteriorating food supply that Persephone had gotten the idea to open a restaurant on the Isle. Hades was against it at first, due to how risky it would be, but ended up agreeing. It was good for Steph to have something to keep her mind off Mal—plus with them putting Hades' name on the building, it essentially became his restaurant.

Thus ensuring no one would mess with it.

Persephone had been key in getting ingredients from Auradon; things that normally would be impossible to find on the Isle though they had to be non perishable since even Persephone couldn't keep meat and dairy fresh for six months without it going bad.

Leaning over the rail of the pier, Hades watched as the kids continued to run along the docks. Unless they're incredibly short for their age, they'd be around Mal's age, he thought. I wonder if Maleficent has finally allowed her to walk around the Isle unaccompanied now or if she's still trying to pass off the facade of a devoted mother.

His mind wandered briefly from his daughter to Auradon and the population boom they'd had over the last five years. Persephone was quick to inform him whenever a royal gave birth. Rapunzel had given birth to another daughter and a son bringing her total to six kids, Ariel had given birth to another child, Cinderella had birthed two daughters much to Lady Tremaine's annoyance, Jasmine had given birth to a daughter and Aurora had given birth to a son.

That last announcement had particularly ticked off Maleficent from what Hades could see in the ember, though she thankfully did not take her anger out on Mal but rather on her goblin minions. If she could have found a way to do so, though, Hades was sure that his ex-wife would have.

There hadn't been an inspector out here for years, not since the announcement of Queen Belle's second pregnancy three years ago. It lasted six months and the kingdom had been preparing for the birth of their new princess before it was announced that the Queen had miscarried.

While Beastie would never be Hades' favorite person, Belle at least tried to champion change for the Isle when it was first created. At least, that's what Persephone had heard. Now though, Belle seemed more preoccupied with protecting her sole child and heir to the throne rather than continue the changes she sought to make.

Not that Hades could blame her for being distracted. He still found it hard to do his job and Mal was still alive. He couldn't imagine what losing a child would be like, and he ran the Underworld.

It had been tempting, for a minute, to have Steph send a condolence card when the news broke but Hades knew that would only put a potential target on Mal. The people of Auradon would wonder why Hades was sending a condolence card and the residents of the Isle would wonder if Hades had gone soft and try to find out why.

It was a potential lose-lose either way.

"Ah Hades," Hook exclaimed as Hades walked into the pirate's shop. "What can I help you with?"

"What do you think?" Hades asked with an eye roll. "It's Tuesday isn't it?"

Normally he'd have Pain or Panic pick up the supplies, or even Panic's son Virgil since the boy was now eight and able to be trusted with simple errands, but Hades wanted to use this rare opportunity to see if Maleficent had allowed Mal the ability to roam the Isle without her.

So far, he hadn't seen any sign of his daughter but that didn't mean that wouldn't change.

"Of course," Hook said running his lone hand through his short black hair. "We'd just grown so used to seeing your henchminions that we had not expected the honor of seeing you."

"No one likes a kiss up, Hook," Hades told him. "Except for Gaston. That man's ego understands nothing but flattery."

Hook snorted in amusement before looking over his shoulder. "Harriet, lass, come here!"

A young girl about maybe eight or nine walked out from the back and came up to the counter. "Yes, Captain?"

"Go and get the order for Lord Hades. It should be in its usual place. Your brother was supposed to ensure it was there before he ran out to the docks."

Harriet nodded and left to go to the back room. Hades raised an eyebrow.

"You gave me grief last year for running a restaurant yet you run a fish market? What happened to the pirate way?"

"It's hard to ravage the seas and pillage villages when you're trapped under a barrier," Hook shot back but Hades found he didn't mind. Hook was tolerable as far as the Isle Villains went. "Plus fishing keeps the boy out of trouble."

Hades opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Harriet's reappearance, holding the order of fish. "Captain, CJ threw up," the young girl said. "I don't think she liked her dinner last night."

"Well it's all the brat will get. It's all we were able to get from the delivery this month," Hook snapped, turning to his eldest child.

"She's three!" Harriet exclaimed, as if unable to prevent the outrage from spilling out. "She can't control it!"

"Go wait in the back," Hook said, his eyes darkening ominously. Harriet glared but obeyed her father.

"Everything okay?" Hades asked, not that he cared. The pirate was notorious for his hatred of children which made it surprising he had sired three of them.

"Nothing I can't handle," Hook told him, holding Hades' order; the handles of the bag dangling in his hook. "The same deal, I take it?"

"You and your allies eat free at the restaurant," Hades nodded. "I don't go back on my deals, Hook."

Hook nodded and Hades grabbed the bag of ingredients—mainly fish since that was the freshest thing they could find on the Isle. Beast can prevent edible food from arriving from Auradon but he can't control the sea, Hades thought as he left. That's Poseidon's territory and Ursula's his little girl. Poseidon would make sure his daughter and granddaughter at least got something to eat and if the rest of us benefit from that, well he doesn't need to know.

As he walked back onto the pier, Hades couldn't help but smile softly at the sight of the children still running around on the docks. Busy in their own little world, not worried about where their next meal would come from or if the shipments would be fresh enough to eat.

Looking closer, Hades could tell that the group consisted of a boy and two girls. It wasn't unusual for the younger kids to intermingle; the boys tended to protect the girls if needed. Though considering the boy of this group just dumped water on one of the girls, Hades would assume that the boy would be the one needing protection.

"Harry Hook, you'll pay for that!" Hades heard the girl exclaim and his heart clenched, having heard that voice on the ember many times throughout the years. That was Mal.

"What are you going to do about it, dragon girl?" Harry teased as Mal chased him up the dock to where Hades was standing. Before Hades had time to move, he felt a small thud on the back of his legs, almost around his knees.

"Hey watch it!" Mal's voice came from behind him and Hades had to school his features as he turned around. His heart sank as he saw a bit of fear cross over his daughter's face before she was able to school her features.

"Forgive me Lord Hades, I wasn't watching where I was going," Mal said, looking at Hades in a respectful but defiant manner.

"Be more careful next time," Hades said, trying hard to keep his tone neutral even though every fiber in his body was screaming to snatch Mal up and take her home with him.

Hard to believe she's gotten so big, Hades thought as Mal got back up and proceeded to chase Harry down the pier once more; all thoughts of Hades completely driven out of her mind. The remaining girl shook her head in amusement as she strolled up to the pier and stopped next to Hades.

She seems familiar but I can't put my finger on it, Hades thought, looking at the girl out of the corner of his eye. She was small, though maybe an inch taller than Mal, with her bright blue hair tied up in braids.

"Hey Uncle Hades," she said in a low tone, as if to not be overheard. Hades knew who this girl was now. He had seen glimpses of her in passing when Hades would walk along the streets of the Isle, plus the one time he saw her as a baby when Persephone insisted he visit Ursula back when they still had Mal. That was the only visit Hades had paid his niece in the nine years they'd been on the Isle and it would continue to be that way if Hades had any say in the matter.

"Uma," Hades said, nodding his head at his great niece. Uma didn't stick around long, running after Mal and Harry. Hades couldn't help but smirk as Uma barked out an order that Mal seemed to ignore—the little squidling was going to be an interesting companion for Mal.

I wonder how they got to know each other, Hades thought as he turned to leave. After all, I don't see Ursula becoming friendly with Maleficent. The whole fire and water thing doesn't really work out all that well.

Still it was good to know that Mal would have allies if she needed them. It'd be a good way to keep her away from Maleficent as much as possible.

"Boy!" Hook shouted from the doorway of his shop. He must have been watching from a back window. "Come here!"

"Coming papa!" Harry called back and Hades watched with a heavy heart as the young male Hook came running from the end of the pier. Hades knew he would give anything to have Mal call him 'papa' or any other name she wanted.

Hook grabbed Harry's wrist with his hand. "What do you think you're doing, roughhousing with Maleficent's daughter?" Hook hissed.

"We..we were just having a bit of fun, papa!"

"Do you want the dragon to come down on us?" Hook growled. "Besting Maleficent's daughter in a fight is like besting Maleficent. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded, a little frantically in Hades' opinion but he wasn't going to judge a five year old for being afraid of Maleficent. Now Hook, Hades was going to judge until the cows came home.

She's completely powerless, with the exception of making her eyes glow green. She can't do anything to you, you worthless codfish, Hades thought with an inward eye roll.

"Now go!" Hook barked, releasing the boy's wrist. "Make yourself useful and get some more fish."

Harry nodded and ran off, presumably to get the fish but Hades didn't know nor did he particularly care. The boy was friendly with Mal, that's all Hades needed to know. In the distance, Hades could see Mal and Uma run off and he couldn't help but wonder what those two were up to.

Two villains left to their own devices is terrifying on its own. Two villains who happen to be cousins…well we should just hope the Isle remains standing, Hades thought as he turned to leave. He needed to get this fish to the restaurant so he could get started.

The restaurant wasn't too far from Pirate's Cove; located near Lady Tremaine's hair shop in the neutral ground. It was one of the few places villains from every clique could come and grab a bite of actually edible food. It was all Persephone's idea. Hades just cooked the food.

He didn't use to know how to cook. Why would he need to? He was a God after all, there would be others who could do that for him. Even after getting tossed on the Isle, Hades hadn't bothered to learn; instead using his status as a God to get as close to first dibs on the monthly deliveries as he could get.

It wasn't until he had Mal and she had been living with him that Hades finally bothered to learn, back when he thought that Mal would be living with him for all time. Mal, only being half god, would need more in the way of food than Hades or Persephone would.

It was odd but Hades found he did enjoy it. His main job would forever be running the Underworld but cooking was a nice little side project.

Heating up the fryer, Hades began working on the bakaliaros—one of the few dishes he could make with what was available on the Isle. Sure it would end up competing with Ursula's fried fish over at her chip shoppe since it was a fried fish dish but Hades didn't care.

He didn't need money. The restaurant was Persephone's way of giving back to the Isle. The only thing Hades cared about was being able to see his daughter—and if the restaurant gave him the chance to do so, he'd not say a negative thing about it.

Gods I'd love to find a way to get some chicken over here, Hades thought as he cleaned the fish. Some souvlaki would be great to make but chicken is rarer than gold in these parts. There's no way I'd trust any chicken Auradon sent over anyway. Not if it meant Mal could get sick.

Quickly battering the fish, Hades went and flipped the sign from closed to open on the front door. Not that it mattered, people came in all the time. Hades could argue that he wasted his money on that closed sign, if he had actually paid for it.

Now all he had to do was wait for people to show up. Hades didn't care. He had seen his daughter in person for the first time in five years. He could wait as long as he needed.


	8. Chapter 8

It turned out Hades didn't have too much longer to wait, as the day wore on. The ebb and flow of customers was at a pretty steady stream until an hour before Hades 'closed' for the day. He never officially closed up shop and most knew that there were prepared dishes in the kitchen that people could take from if needed.

Where those dishes were kept, though, was a secret only a select few knew. Hades obviously was one of them, considering he ran the place. Panic was another, and Hook was the last person who knew. Hades wasn't exactly thrilled to share that information with the pirate but in exchange for that and letting him and his allies eat for free, Hades got his orders from Hook's shop free of charge.

The front door clanged open and Hades didn't bother to look up. He knew, despite there only being one option, that most villains still took their sweet time ordering their food. Hades didn't mind—he just charged them extra for that. There was never a price on the board so no one ever tried to fight him on it.

They all knew the motto of the Isle: life ain't fair. Hades just happened to like teaching it to the adults who hadn't learned it yet.

"What's bakaliaros?" Mal's voice called out, sounding out the word slowly as if it was foreign to her. Considering its Greek background, it probably was. Hades' heart clenched and he took a deep breath before looking out the window that allowed him to see out to the front of the house from the kitchen. Frowning when he didn't see anyone, Hades made his way from the kitchen to the front counter. Looking down, he had to hold back a chuckle as he saw Mal. No wonder he hadn't seen her, she was so short that the counter had completely hidden her from view.

"It's a fish dish," he said, leaning on his forearms as he rested on the counter, looking at her. "Basically just fried fish."

Mal rolled her eyes. "If I wanted fried fish, I'd have gone to Ursula's chip shoppe. That's all she ever has."

"Well that's the option for the week. Take it or leave it," Hades told her, holding back an offer to invite her to eat back at his home. Maleficent never told her about you, that's clear as day. Take it slow otherwise you're going to risk chasing her off, Hades thought as Mal bit her lip softly, clearly thinking about it.

"Fine," Mal scoffed. "I'll take some. To go."

"Fair enough," Hades nodded and walked back into the kitchen. Most villains took their order to go since the front of house was too small to feasibly fit more than fifteen tables. That didn't mean Hades didn't feel his heart sink when he heard Mal say that though.

He didn't know what was crueler: the years of only seeing Mal through the ember or getting these brief glimpse of her before she ran off again.

Quickly getting to work, Hades mentally did an inventory of what was remaining in his pantry. He had enough fish to make it through a busy week, or at least he had enough that an extra piece of fish wouldn't go amiss. Making up his mind, he battered and fried three pieces of fish; letting the batter get a nice golden brown before pulling them out of the fryer.

Blotting the fish so that they weren't too oily and potentially led to the bag breaking, Hades wrapped them up and stuck them into a paper bag. For the first time since he opened the doors to the restaurant, Hades wished the dish took longer to make just so he could spend more time with Mal.

"That was quick," Mal said as Hades walked back to the counter.

"Yeah well it doesn't take that long to fry three pieces of fish," Hades told her.

Mal looked over at the sign that listed the dish of the week. "Sign says two pieces," she said with a suspicious edge to her voice that seemed out of place on a five year old.

"Sign's wrong," Hades told her.

"Then change it."

Hades couldn't help but chuckle at the demand. He knew that if that was anyone else, they'd have found themselves tossed out on the street and their meal shoved where the sun didn't shine. But to have it come from a five year old, Hades' five year old, there was something endearing about it.

"I'll get right on that," Hades told her with a smirk and Mal seemed to stand up a bit straighter, as if proud that she had successfully given a command.

"How much?"

"Pardon?" Hades asked, pausing as he had turned to go back into the kitchen to clean up.

"How much for the food?" Mal elaborated, rolling her eyes and clearly annoyed she had to repeat herself.

Hades turned and faced her again. "Can't you read?" He asked, pointing to the fine print at the bottom of the Order of the Week sign, quite aware of the fact he had asked that question of a five year old. Persephone had insisted that the children of the Isle be able to get food whenever they needed it and money was one resource they never had a lot of.

The adults paid, or they worked out a deal with Hades if they didn't have the money on them. The kids, though, never asked for this life. They never did anything to earn being locked on an Isle.

Regardless of policy, I wasn't going to charge Mal anyway, Hades thought as Mal looked at the sign. It's not like I'd lose any money, giving away a free meal. Besides, no one's here so it's not like anyone would be able to accuse me of being weak or accuse Mal of taking charity.

Mal looked back at Hades and eyed the bag of food as if it housed a bomb and not three pieces of fried fish. "What's the catch?"

"Cod, if Hook is to be trusted."

Mal rolled her eyes at what Hades thought to be a pretty good joke. "Everything's got a catch," she said and Hades sighed as he heard the distrust in her voice. Mal was only five, she shouldn't have been so suspicious of the world. What had Maleficent done?

"Well, now you can say that's not true," Hades said, leaning on the counter once more and holding the bag at a height that was low enough for Mal to reach but high enough as to avoid her getting insulted. "Ask around, that's been the policy since this place was started."

Mal still seemed a little hesitant but grabbed the bag from Hades and walked out, not saying another word. Hades shook his head and went back to the kitchen to clean up. He couldn't help but feel like he was floating on cloud nine—he had actually had a conversation with Mal. Granted he didn't know if he could classify it as much of a conversation but after five years of only seeing her through the ember, Hades would take what he could get.

You should have just taken her to the Underworld, he thought as he began to clean up from the day's service.

Oh yes, the same Underworld where Maleficent's minions had snatched her before?

It would have been a private area where you could have told her who you are. She deserves to know.

Hades shook his head as he continued to clean up the kitchen. While Mal definitely deserved to know, it was too soon. Besides, Hades didn't want to risk Maleficent hurting Mal because of it or preventing Mal from seeing him again.

Wiping down the counter and tossing the rag in the sink, Hades couldn't help but smile. He had thought that the restaurant was a waste of time, something that Persephone was doing to take her mind off of Mal. He was only helping to ensure it stayed up and that no one messed with it when Persephone was off the Isle.

Now, though? He wouldn't hear a negative thing about this place.

Closing the front door and flipping the sign from 'open' to 'closed' even though he knew full well anyone who wanted to go in would just ignore the sign, Hades couldn't help but give a little whistle as he strolled back to the Underworld. His obvious good mood seemed to scare the underlings more than his negative moods as the streets were completely barren.

"Steph?" Hades called out as he stepped into his lair. He was thankful that this wasn't one of Persephone's six months off the Isle. This was news that he had to share in person.

"In the kitchen!" Persephone called back to him. Hades grinned and rushed to the kitchen, where his wife was elbow deep in suds and dishes.

"Decided to do a deep clean?" Hades asked, chuckling at the sight.

"If your minions knew how to clean a gods forsaken dish, we wouldn't have run out of spoons this morning," Persephone grumbled, brushing a bit of hair out of her eyes and leaving a small trail of suds on her cheek. Hades, though, continued to grin; his wife's bad mood failing to dampen his good one.

"What's going on?" Persephone asked, noticing the grin on her husband's face. Hades didn't answer but instead closed the distance and enveloped Persephone in a hug. Spinning her around, Hades had to laugh as Persephone let out a surprised squeak.

"Hades!" Persephone exclaimed. "What's happened? Wait, did Maleficent die? Is that what's got you in such a good mood?"

Hades shook his head and spun Persephone around so that she faced him. "No, the dragon's still alive. But my good mood is in relation to her, as odd as that is to say. In fact, you could say my good mood is a relation of Maleficent's."

"Mal?" Persephone gasped, catching on. "You saw her? Outside of the ember, I mean?"

"I didn't just see her Steph. I talked to her!" Hades said, leaning against the island. "Granted it was like a minute long conversation before she ran off but it still happened—and she came by the restaurant!"

"What?!" Persephone exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in delight. "Oh Hades, why didn't you say something sooner? Did you bring her back with you?"

Hades shook his head, his good mood slightly diminishing as he thought of Mal having to continue to live with Maleficent. "It was too soon Steph. It was one thing to pretend I stole Maleficent's baby after she was born but Mal's old enough now to fight back. If she didn't want to go and I grabbed her, I might have ended up hurting her."

Persephone sighed. "When you say it like that, it makes sense. As well, Maleficent's already stolen Mal from us here. It would be all too easy for her to do it again—or worse. Mal's registered as her daughter, she could file a report to Auradon against you if you stole Mal again."

"That registry is completely ridiculous," Hades grumbled. "There haven't been any inspectors here for the past two years and clearly no one cares about the status of the Isle if the food deliveries are any indication."

"I know," Persephone said, resting a hand on Hades' cheek. Sighing, she decided to change the subject. "How did Mal look?"

Hades smiled. "She looked good. Small for her age compared to the other brats that run amok throughout the Isle but that could be her Fae heritage coming out."

"Lack of food too," Persephone added. "Maleficent might be able to get first choice on the deliveries but that doesn't mean she'll give more to Mal than what's needed."

Hades nodded. "I gave her an extra piece of fish when she came by the restaurant. She noticed the sign said that there were supposed to be two pieces and I told her I fried up three."

"What did you say?" Persephone asked, turning back to finish the dishes.

"Told her the sign was wrong."

"And her response?"

"Told me to change the sign," Hades said as he hopped up to sit on the counter of the island. "I told her I'd get right on that."

Persephone couldn't help but shake her head in amusement. "Oh Gods. Hades, I wish I could have been there."

"Maleficent's letting Mal walk around the Isle by herself now," Hades said. "It's a start at least. I can do more for her—make sure she's getting food, for starters."

"And you thought the restaurant was a bad idea," Persephone teased, going back to the dishes.

"Hey, you were right," Hades said, grinning. "I won't complain about that place again. Even if I do have to interact more with Hook because of it."

"I thought Hook was one of the few villains you could tolerate?"

"He is," Hades nodded. "But some in his crew spend their time around Frollo and it's starting to show. If that sorry excuse for a mortal tries to tell me I'm living in delusion and that there's only one God one more time, he's going to find that hat of his in a very interesting place."

Persephone sighed and grabbed a towel, tossing it to Hades. "As long as you don't do it in front of Mal, I won't say anything."

Hades caught the towel and smirked. "Is this your way of saying 'I washed, you dry'?"

"No, of course not!"

"Steph."

Persephone sighed. "I figured you wouldn't want to make dinner on top of doing the cooking at the restaurant. If you can dry, I'll handle dinner."

Hades nodded and hopped off the counter to get started on drying the dishes. As Persephone walked away, Hades grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into an embrace. Kissing her gently on the lips, Hades whispered, "she's okay. No matter what happens next, we know Mal's okay."

"The next step is to bring her home," Persephone reminded him, resting her head on his chest.

"It'll be slow going," Hades told her. "She's already so distrustful of others. She looked like I was lying right to her face when I told her there was no charge for the food."

"Well then, you've got to make her trust you," Persephone said with a smirk that made Hades' heart race. "That shouldn't be a problem for you. After all, there's no way you'd be able to make deals with people if they didn't trust you."

"Those people weren't raised by Maleficent, if you can even call what she's doing to Mal 'raising'," Hades said.

"Didn't you used to tell me that the challenge was the fun part?"

"That's with mortals. Not my daughter."

Persephone rested a gentle hand on Hades' cheek, looking up at her husband. "Hades, if there's anyone who can do it, it's you."

Breaking from the embrace, Persephone said, "for right now though, focus on drying those dishes. I'll see if I can scare up something for dinner."

"Yes dear," Hades chuckled and grabbed the towel off the counter. "You know though, scaring things is more my area."

"Well then scare those dishes dry," Persephone said as she walked out of the kitchen. Hades chuckled and shook his head; nothing could ruin his good mood right now.


	9. Chapter 9

The next time Hades was able to have a one on one conversation with his daughter wasn't until a month after the first one. Yes, he still saw her about once a week whenever she came into the restaurant but it was never longer than ten minutes or so. She came in, placed her order which nine times out of ten was a fish dish of some kind, and leave.

Hades had been trying to come up with a fish dish that took longer to make but with no luck. A ten minute prep and cook time seemed to be the perfect amount. The fish either came out too dry or too oily otherwise. Persephone, though, had promised to get a cook book the next time she was off the Isle—or at the very least print off some recipes.

Never before had Hades longed for something as simple as an internet connection but now he did. It was bad enough Beast had to put a magical barrier around the Isle but he could have at least given them dial up at the very least. It's not like they could use the Internet to escape. Plus, the image of Maleficent trying to use a computer was one Hades would pay to make real instead of living solely in his head.

Hades had been closing up the restaurant when he saw Mal running past him out of the corner of his eye. Now, a child of the Isle running someplace normally wouldn't garner attention. Nine times out of ten, the kid was running from whatever shop keep they stole from and normally was able to get away from in a matter of minutes. The wonders of youth.

However, this was Mal. There would have been no reason for her to steal from or run from any of the shop keeps in the area. Being the daughter of Maleficent gave her leeway in that regard. Most shop keeps would have given her the item she asked for as tribute just to keep Maleficent happy.

It does help to have the ability to turn into a dragon even if the magical barrier prevents Maleficent from actually doing it, Hades thought as he saw Fred Frollo chase after his daughter. Guess Mal didn't steal from a shop keep after all. Time to see what the little French fanatic wants with my daughter.

Following at a distance, Hades watched as Frollo's son chased Mal into a nearby alley. Mal looked around, seemingly frantic, as she reached the dead end and whirled around to face the other boy.

Hades longed to step in, to protect his daughter from whatever was about to happen. But he knew that on the Isle, an adult stepping in was the ultimate sign of weakness. The only acceptable time was when there was a known alliance or the odds were stacked horribly against the kid the adult was coming to the rescue for. At this point, with a one on one match up, there was no way Mal would forgive him if Hades stepped in now.

After all, reputation was everything on the Isle.

"Caught you now, you little witch," Fred growled and Hades could see bright purple pain splattered all over the boy's clothing. Hades could only imagine which Isle resident was responsible for that.

Why is she alone? Hades thought. From what I've seen, Uma and Hook's kid have been at her side like glue.

Hades could only hope that Mal had acted alone and that she didn't have a falling out with her minions. The Isle was dangerous enough with help. Trying to navigate it alone was near suicide. Even Maleficent had her minions, and was even trying to recruit some non goblin ones if the rumor mill was to be believed.

She had already snatched up Cruella, though honestly Hades thought the two of them were made for each other. Both of them were completely insane and cared only for themselves. That, in addition to Jafar, brought Maleficent's non goblin minions to a grand total of two. While there were safety in numbers, it didn't matter when one terrified the rest of the Isle based on reputation alone.

"You were in our territory, Frollo," Mal said, bringing Hades' attention back to the matter at hand and standing as tall as she could which wasn't that tall. Despite Frollo's son being just three years older than Mal, the boy still towered over her due to his lean build. "You honestly think you could go after Harry's sister and get away with it? You got off lucky that Harriet only splashed you in the face with sea water. You should have left her alone when she told you the first time."

"A wonderful story. I don't suppose you have any proof to back it up?" Frollo sneered. "You think just because Maleficent is your mother, you can just walk around the Isle and do what you please? The wicked shall have their just reward."

Mal rolled her eyes, the frantic look having faded away to be replaced with bored indifference. "Newsflash weirdo, we're all wicked here. Why else would we be in a place called the Isle of the Lost?"

"My father was unjustly persecuted—"

"Yeah, yeah. Tell that to somebody who cares," Mal said and Hades could tell she was reaching behind her for something. She was leaning up against a barrel so Hades could only assume she was reaching for something to fight back with so he was a little surprised to see Mal holding what looked like a water balloon.

Frollo opened his mouth to respond but Mal let the balloon go and a cloud of dark red smoke filled the alley. Quickly making his way down the street a bit, Hades ducked into another alleyway and pulled Mal into it as she ran past.

"What are you—?!"

Hades shushed her just as Frollo ran past, his clothes now stained with the dark red smoke that clashed with the purple paint already on it. Looking around, he snarled as he couldn't find Mal and ran off.

"I had him right where I wanted him!" Mal exclaimed as soon as the coast was clear. "You didn't need to butt in!"

"Oh I'm sorry that I thought it might be a good idea to see what's going on when you ran past me, Frollo hot on your heels," Hades said, scoffing a bit.

"Why do you even care?" Mal shot back.

Hades had to school his features to make sure Mal couldn't see the hurt on his face. She didn't know, she still didn't know. He honestly hadn't expected Maleficent would have told Mal straight away but even she couldn't be that cruel to keep his identity from Mal? Oh who was he kidding, of course Maleficent was that cruel. And of course, there was never a right moment for Hades to tell Mal himself.

What, was he supposed to just say 'oh by the way Mal, I'm your dad' when he handed her her meal? She'd probably think he was insane and never stop by the restaurant again.

"I care because you have certain skills I need," Hades said carefully, thinking on his feet. "How'd you like to earn all the free food you can eat?"

Mal stared at him for a second before her eyes narrowed a little in suspicion. "What's the catch?"

"Once a week, you'll need to run down to Hook's fish shop and pick up the order," Hades told her. He'd add more responsibilities once their relationship developed but for right now, he knew that she trusted Hook's son and Hook's son presumably trusted her, therefore Hook should hopefully do the same. It was a good place to start.

"That's it?" Mal asked, crossing her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "I stop by Hook's shop once a week and I get free food from your place whenever I want?"

Hades nodded, while mentally adding in that he'd be keeping an eye on her in case Frollo or his gang tried anything. Though he already did that anyway—he trusted Maleficent as far as he could throw her. "You got it."

"And the gang," Mal said quickly.

"I'm sorry?"

"My gang gets the same thing," Mal elaborated, and Hades couldn't help the feeling of relief that washed over him upon hearing that. So Mal had been acting alone when she went up against Frollo. Hook Jr was probably at his father's shop and Uma was more likely with Ursula. "They get the free food too or the deal's off."

Hades glowered slightly but couldn't say no. As much as he distrusted Hook and had no relationship with his niece, he couldn't refuse Mal.

"Fine," Hades said, trying to keep his tone neutral. "As long as they say they're with you when they come to get their food. I'm not in the charity business."

Mal paused and looked over at him in suspicion. "I thought it was restaurant policy that the kids of the Isle ate for free?"

"Policies change," Hades said simply. He wouldn't actually charge any of the other kids of the Isle. Well, maybe with the exception of Frollo's brat. But Mal didn't need to know that. "Do we have a deal?"

Mal nodded and held out her hand to shake. Hades took it and couldn't help but give a small smile at how small her hand was compared to his as they shook on it. It was a weird thing to notice but he did.

"Okay, go and run off now," Hades told her. "First order pick up is this Tuesday by eleven. Don't be late."

Mal nodded and ran off, presumably to let Uma and Harry know about her alliance with Hades. Hades chuckled and made his way back to the Underworld. He'd have to talk to Virgil and let him know that Mal would be taking over his duties at Hook's. Hopefully the little jar of sunshine wouldn't take it the wrong way and think Hades was replacing him entirely.

The kid was a bundle of nerves but he was quick and a hard worker, more nervous about making a mistake than anything else. Rare qualities for the Isle.

"Panic!" Hades shouted as he walked into the Underworld.

"Y-yes Hades?" Panic asked as he came running toward the God.

"Is your son here? I need to speak to him," Hades said and Panic's eyes grew wide.

"O-oh, w-whatever he's done, I-I'm sorry Hades! H-He'll do better! I-I promise!"

Hades rolled his eyes. Panic always seemed to go for the worst case scenario, possibly due to it being his name. "He hasn't done anything Panic. I just need to speak to him about his duties as my errand rat."

"Oh." Panic said and seemed to deflate in relief. "I-I'll go and grab him."

Hades nodded as the little imp scurried out of the room. Hades plopped onto the sofa, thinking it wouldn't be a good idea to totally intimidate the kid. If he was anything like his father, Hades was in for at least a good five minute ramble about how he'd see improvement.

"H-Hades?" Panic's voice called out no more than five minutes later. That was the good thing about Panic, he never left you waiting longer than you had to. "Virgil's here."

"Send him over," Hades said, looking over his shoulder. The kid was thin, with dark brown hair with bangs that almost seemed to cover his eyes at times. He favored his mother clearly, with mainly human features with the exception of slightly pointed ears and a slight yellow tint to his eyes. Oddly enough he had a purple sweatshirt on which only served to make him look thinner than he already was.

One would think that as Panic's son, Virgil would have on a green sweatshirt but maybe it was left over from when Vanessa and Ursula split. After all, his niece did favor purple which made Uma's preference of blue more than a little amusing.

Wait, did that make Vanessa his niece as well? Since that was the human form Ursula shifted into when she went after Eric? Hades thought as Virgil walked over to him. Shaking his head slightly, Hades decided it wasn't the right time to dive into those thoughts.

Besides, if Vanessa was his niece, that would make Panic related to him in a way as he was her husband. Hades liked the moron but not enough to call him family.

"Y-You asked to s-see me, L-Lord Hades?" Virgil asked and Hades had to remind himself that the kid was eight. He was only three years older than Mal, though with the stuttering it was hard to see it.

"I wanted to talk to you about your duties as my errand rat," Hades said and Virgil's eyes grew wide. It was as if he was imagining every worse case scenario he could.

"I-I'm s-sorry! I'll d-do better! A-Am I n-not fast enough? I—"

"Virgil!" Hades cut the boy off before he had the chance to build up steam. If the boy was anything like his father, Hades would have been siting there for a week before he would have gotten a word in otherwise. "You're not in trouble. I just picked up another errand rat so I wanted to let you know you didn't need to go to Hook's anymore."

"Oh," Virgil said, flushing a little but calming down. "But what would I do as your errand rat if I'm not going to Hook's? That's pretty much the only place I go on errands for you, Lord Hades."

That was the good thing about Virgil, Hades thought. When he wasn't panicking, he was clear and concise; almost logical in how he thought things through. If he didn't have his father's gift for thinking of the worst possible outcome, the kid would go far.

"I'm thinking of adding a delivery aspect to the restaurant," Hades said, the idea coming to him out of the blue. It would work as a reason to keep Virgil on as an errand rat, plus there were some villains who didn't like to venture out of their homes. If they had kids, those kids would still need food.

"You want me to be a delivery boy?" Virgil asked, more than a little apprehensive about the idea but Hades was happy to see the stammer hadn't returned. Good, the boy would need to grow a spine if he was going to make it on the Isle.

"You've proven yourself reliable enough picking up the packages from Hook," Hades said. "I see no reason why you wouldn't be the same with customers' money."

"That's assuming they'd pay," Virgil muttered and Hades had to hold back a snort of amusement. The kid did have a point.

"If you get anyone who refuses to pay, let me know," Hades told him. "Anyone with a pre-existing deal with me should let you know at the start. If not, I'll make a list."

Virgil nodded, and Hades couldn't help but be impressed. Any other kid would complain about the work it would take, schlepping deliveries around the Isle.

Though, Virgil was the son of one of his minions. It was logical to assume that the kid just didn't want to make life harder for his dad.

"Any questions?" Hades asked.

"What do I do if a customer starts causing problems?" Virgil asked, and immediately looked down. "Sorry, guess that's a stupid question."

"No such thing," Hades told him; it was actually a fair question considering the types of villains that lived on the Isle. Most, if not all of them, had reputations of not treating their minions with respect and Hades was no exception. But Virgil was a kid, he didn't ask for this life. "Any customer that's abusive, I want you to leave their house and come straight to me. I'll deal with it."

Hades normally didn't care what the other villains got up to. But Virgil was Panic's son and therefore an extension of Hades' minion. His minion, his rules. No one else got to abuse them.

Besides, there is a strong possibility this little twerp is my nephew if Vanessa is actually my niece considering the fact that Vanessa was just the form Ursula used to trap Eric, Hades thought. Unlike Ursula and Uma, he had actually been around Virgil since the little sun spot was born—or at least heard about him from Panic.

Mal's old nursery furniture had been Virgil's, and there was still the possibility of Virgil being one of Mal's minions once Hades got her back. His fight or flight reflex would be a good thing for her to have at her disposal, plus his constant overthinking would mean he'd be the rare exception to the idea that an older kid would have issues taking orders from someone younger.

"L-Lord Hades?" Virgil spoke up in a soft voice and Hades blinked in slight surprise to see the kid still standing in front of him.

"You're dismissed. Report to the restaurant on Tuesday for your first round of deliveries," Hades told him and Virgil nodded before racing out of there as if Cerberus was on his tail.

"Hades, don't torture the poor boy," Persephone told him as she walked into the room.

"I didn't," Hades told her and Persephone raised an eyebrow. "Honest Steph. This time I was on my best behavior with the boy."

Persephone nodded and leaned over the sofa so that she was looking over his shoulder. "So, what did you need to talk to him about?"

"I'm changing up his responsibilities as errand rat," Hades told her.

"Oh Hades, you just said you didn't torture the poor boy," Persephone sighed. "You know how well Virgil responds to change."

Hades shook his head. "Life on the Isle is all about change. If he's going to make it here, he's going to have to get used to that idea."

"Well at least it's a good change," Persephone said as she sat down next to Hades. "But why change up his responsibilities?"

"I acquired a new errand rat and decided it was time for the boy to take on new responsibilities," Hades told her. "After all, he'd be the more experienced one."

"I think you might have made Virgil's day and caused his nightmare to come to life at the same time," Persephone said, running a hand through Hades' hair. She loved how, despite his denials, Hades truly cared for the kids of the Isle. Or at least the ones connected to him. "Who's your new errand rat?"

Hades took a breath and couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips.

"Mal."


	10. Chapter 10

Mal had to admit, she was nervous even if she would never say it out loud. This was her first time being an errand rat and if Maleficent were to find out she would probably blow her stack.

The very thought of her, Mal, being an errand rat would be bad enough but for Lord Hades? Mal didn't know why her birth giver seemed to utterly despise the God of the Dead but the mere mention of him or Persephone got Maleficent worked up to go on hour long rants. Nine times out of ten, Mal was able to get out of dodge before she was noticed.

The tenth time though….

Mal shook her head to clear her thoughts. It wouldn't do to go into Hook's territory distracted. Even if Harry was part of her crew, that didn't mean everyone else was. After all, some of Hook's crew seemed to hang on Frollo's dad's every word, which could prove dangerous if they ever lost their fear of Maleficent.

Frollo didn't hold back on how he felt about those who practiced what he called 'witchcraft' after all, and with no magic to protect her, Mal knew she could be a target if Frollo and his ilk gained enough power.

"Hey Mal," Harriet said with a smile as the younger girl walked into the shop, bringing Mal's thoughts back to the present. "How can I help you? If you're looking for Harry, he's off getting more fish for the Captain. If you're looking for the Captain, he's in a meeting with Smee. I doubt you'd be looking for CJ and I'm obviously right here."

Mal shook her head, wincing a bit at the movement as she'd been taught a lesson in respect from Maleficent the night before. "No, I'm here to pick up Lord Hades' weekly order actually."

"Oh," Harriet said, not commenting on the wince. To her credit, if she was surprised that Mal was picking up the order, it didn't show on her face. "It's in the back. Give me one minute and I'll grab it for you."

Mal nodded and the older girl ducked into the back, leaving Mal by herself. Not that she minded, the fish shop was small enough that no one could really sneak up on her. Besides, if being the offspring of Maleficent held any benefits, it was that it was rare that anyone tried to mess with her.

Fred Frollo and his gang notwithstanding.

I should meet up with Harry soon, Mal thought. If Frollo's getting as brazen as he was last week to chase me through the Isle, I should make sure my sword fighting's up to par. Especially since my eyes keep flashing like crazy. Maybe it's the Fae magic Maleficent keeps talking about.

It would have to wait until her latest 'lesson' from Maleficent healed. It was Mal's fault though, she had called her Maleficent to her face instead of the preferred title of 'mother'. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, only a bruised rib and arm this time and a night without dinner. Mal had skipped breakfast by her own choice; not wanting to be alone with Maleficent for longer than necessary in case Maleficent decided Mal needed to learn her lesson again.

Truthfully, going without dinner was more of a kindness than anything else Maleficent could have given her—the selections they had gotten from this month's delivery were bad even for first pick standards. Besides, if Lord Hades was good to his word, Mal wouldn't have to worry about starvation as a punishment anymore.

"Here you go," Harriet said, breaking into Mal's thoughts as she came back around holding the order. "One weekly order of fish for the God of the Dead."

Mal took the order, holding back a wince as the act of lifting her arm caused pain to shoot through her rib. She'd have to find a way to wrap it or something—maybe Harry would have some tips. He was always getting into 'trouble' with his dad.

Or I could talk to Jay, Mal thought. He's always getting into scrapes, people catching him steal their stuff. Plus, since his dad's on Maleficent's team, it might get her off my back for a bit. Show her that I'm becoming like her, making my own team of minions from her team.

The son of Jafar was also a year older than Mal, making him at least somewhat more knowledgeable on the issue. Could Mal trust him? That was up in the air. Like she had said, Jafar was in league with Maleficent which would always pose a huge risk.

"Mal, you okay?" Harriet asked and Mal realized she hadn't done as good of a job holding back the wince as she thought.

"Yeah," Mal nodded. "Just slept wrong, that's all."

Harriet frowned but didn't push the issue. Mal did technically outrank her in the Isle Hierarchy after all, even though the purple haired girl was younger.

Mal shook her head. "It's fine Harriet, really. Besides, you know there's no rest for the wicked here."

"True," Harriet nodded, the frown still on her face. While she hadn't personally gotten any 'lessons' from her father, she had cleaned up Harry enough times to know how serious they can be. "You should get going. Won't be good if you're late with Lord Hades' order. Plus you don't want that fish to go bad."

Mal nodded and left the shop, holding the order on her left side as to avoid jostling her rib. It also had the added bonus of avoiding any contact with the bruise on her arm.

What's it like to have a normal parent? Mal thought as she made her way back to Hades' restaurant, the thought coming unprompted to the front of her mind. It was dangerous to have such thoughts as there was always the risk that the thoughts might accidentally get spoken out loud; there was no use complaining about their lot in life.

Some kids managed to luck out though—like Uma. Even if she didn't have the best relationship with her mom, she could always go over to Dr. Faciller's for an escape into normalcy. Mal wouldn't begrudge her best friend her relationship with her father, but that didn't stop her from being the tiniest bit jealous. Mal would give anything to know who her father was, even if such thoughts made her weak.

All Maleficent would ever say about her father, if she talked about him at all, was that he was weak and that he had given Mal up at the first chance he had. He walked away from both of them.

If he just walked away from both of us, chances are he's not still alive if he was as weak as Maleficent says he was, Mal thought. Maleficent would have made it next to impossible for him to get any food from the deliveries.

At least she had a parent who stayed, who had made the choice to stay even if calling Maleficent a parent was a stretch of the word's definition. Not like Harry, who's mom had died after CJ was born. Though Milah wasn't the best mom, she still provided some stability for Harry and Harriet. She even managed to put a smile on the Captain's face a few times.

After Milah's death, though, Hook had basically foisted all parenting responsibilities on to Harriet. Well, with the exception of punishment. Sometimes Mal couldn't believe Harry still idolized the man to the point that his goal in life was to get his hand chopped off so he'd need a hook. Not that it stopped him from carrying around a hook, mind you. He just didn't need it.

Before Mal knew it, she was at Hades' restaurant and she shook her head to clear it of any thoughts of her father or birth giver. Wouldn't do to have something show on her face and potentially give Lord Hades something over her.

She may have been five but Mal knew how the game was played. The second you let someone have something over you, you were finished—and there were plenty of people who would love to have something over Maleficent's daughter.

"You're late," Hades said as Mal walked into to the kitchen, not looking up from the pantry.

"By two minutes!" Mal exclaimed as she looked at the clock. She hadn't been walking as fast as she normally did—that stupid rib of hers. If Maleficent ruined this deal for Mal, it would just be yet another way her birth giver had ruined her life.

Being an evil loon who decided the best course of action was to curse a baby when not invited to a party was the first way Maleficent had ruined her life but that went without saying.

"Late is late," Hades told her, turning around to look at her. "Did Hook give you trouble? I know he's used to dealing with my other errand rat."

"No," Mal told him. "Harriet was manning the counter. Hook was in a meeting with Smee so he doesn't even know I'm handling the delivery pickup now."

Hades frowned but didn't say anything as Mal put the order on the counter.

"I guess the deal's off," Mal muttered as she stepped back.

"Why would that be the case?" Hades asked, taking the order and putting it in the fridge.

Mal raised an eyebrow. "I was late. You said it yourself, late is late."

"Did I specify you had to be on time for the deal to still be in effect?" Hades asked, turning to look at Mal.

"Well no but—"

"Exactly," Hades told her. "I keep my deals Mal. You made the delivery, you and your gang get free meals here. Unless you want to change the terms of the deal?"

Mal quickly shook her head, despite every bone in her body telling her to play it cool. She wasn't an idiot; this was free food they were talking about. Even if there was always the looming threat of an unseen catch.

Hades smirked. "Go on and grab a seat, the place is pretty much dead right now. I'll whip you up something."

Mal didn't need to be told twice, even if she was a little surprised at the offer. All she'd done was deliver one order to him. It wasn't as if they had a working relationship.

I wonder if he's trying to overthrow Maleficent as ruler of the Isle? Mal thought as she waited for the food. That might explain why he's being so nice, he wants to know Maleficent's weaknesses.

Mal didn't want to be the one to tell Hades that Maleficent had practically no weaknesses or if she did, they weren't known to Mal. Maleficent didn't become ruler of the Isle by broadcasting things that could be used to take her down.

That being said, Mal wasn't going to overlook free food—especially since she skipped breakfast and had dinner withheld from her.

"Here you go," Hades said, bringing a plate of what she usually ordered. "Enjoy."

Mal nodded and dug in, eating ravenously as the meal continued to be the same quality as all of Lord Hades' dishes. Mal honestly didn't know how the God did it but she didn't particularly care. At this point, she'd eat some of the food from Boreadon if it meant getting something in her stomach.

Hades frowned from his spot in the kitchen as he cleaned up his work area. While he hadn't expected a fight over the food, he had at least expected a little resistance. Mal was the daughter of two very stubborn individuals after all.

Still, the pace Mal was eating…it was troubling to say the least. Maleficent got first pick of the food that was delivered to the Isle so it wasn't as if Mal was lacking in terms of access to food.

"Slow down," Hades called as he walked over to her. "You eat any faster, you could bite your tongue off."

Mal nodded and slowed down a bit. "Can't help it," she said. "Someone could come by and take it."

Hades looked around at the empty restaurant. "And who would that be? It wouldn't be me, I ate already."

Mal shrugged and Hades frowned as he noticed a purple mark on Mal's right arm as her sleeve seemed to rise up her arm.

"Where'd you get that?" Hades asked, and Mal followed his gaze to her right arm.

"Bumped my arm on a doorknob," Mal muttered, pulling her sleeve back down. It wasn't her best lie but she didn't particularly care. It's not like Lord Hades would notice. "Why do you care?"

Hades shook his head. It would be a cold day in his Underworld when he fell for a poor lie like that, especially from his daughter."You want to try that one again?"

"I don't have to answer to you," Mal said, standing up and giving Hades a glare. "I bumped my arm. End of story."

"Mal Bertha, you're going to tell me the truth!"

Hades didn't mean to use Mal's middle name, it honestly just slipped out. But his five year old daughter was not that great of a liar, even if she thought she was.

There was only one person, one entity, with the clout and the protection to dare to injure Maleficent's daughter. Unfortunately, that person was the Dragon herself and the thought of Maleficent laying a talon on Mal was enough to get Hades' blood boiling.

"How'd you know that?" Mal asked, her eyes wide in shock, as she looked up at Hades. She hadn't told anyone her middle name, mainly because it was just too horrible.

She hadn't expected anything prissy like 'Aurora' but couldn't Maleficent had given her something better than Bertha?

"Your mother told me," Hades said, thinking on his feet. It wasn't a lie—Maleficent had told him Mal's name when she was born. "I was there when you were born."

Mal shook her head. "You're lying," she said as she got up. Maleficent would never have allowed anyone other than Lady Tremaine as acting midwife into the room when she was vulnerable—and she especially would never allow Lord Hades anywhere near her or Mal after the birth.

"Mal—"

"I gotta go," Mal said as she rushed out of the restaurant. If Lord Hades was going to lie right to her face, then Mal wasn't going to spend any more time than necessary there. She'd still be his errand rat but that was it.

She wasn't an idiot after all. Free food was free food, even if it was prepared by a liar.

Hades watched as Mal left the restaurant, the front door slamming breaking the quiet of the empty front room.

"Shit."


	11. Chapter 11

Four weeks had gone by since Lord Hades had used Mal's middle name and the incident had been living in Mal's head ever since. She replayed it over and over again, even when she didn't want to; as if looking at all possible angles for something she was missing.

Why had Lord Hades even cared? He wasn't the type of villain to worry about what others did, or about the welfare of a child. After all, if the stories Gaston Jr had spread around the kids of the Isle were true, Lord Hades was one of the few villains to target a baby. Probably the first one really, considering he was a God.

Hmm, maybe that's why Maleficent doesn't like him, Mal thought as she dropped off the order at the restaurant. After all, she prides herself on being an original. Another villain going after a baby, especially a God, would make it seem like she couldn't come up with her own ideas.

Mal quickly made her way out of the restaurant without saying a word despite being a little hungry, not wanting Lord Hades the chance to lie to her again. Even if his food was good and the bruise on her arm had healed to the point that it was unnoticeable if her sleeve slid up again, Mal didn't want to take that chance.

Instead Mal started making her way back to Maleficent's. It was horrible but Maleficent was always horrible. She was always cruel. She was always consistent.

Consistency wasn't something often found on the Isle so when you found it, you tried to make the best of it.

Lord Hades had been consistent. He was honest…until he wasn't with the deal involving Mal's middle name.

Something though caught Mal's eye as she walked past the window of the restaurant and she paused, though she couldn't tell you why. Lord Hades was getting the front of house ready for the lunch rush, though Mal didn't understand why. Hardly anyone ate in the restaurant, preferring to eat on their own turf.

Why hasn't he tried to escape yet? Mal thought as she watched through the front window. After all, he's a God. Wouldn't that be enough to counter the barrier that's mainly Fairy magic? I mean, the only other fairy powerful enough to trap a God would be the Blue Fairy but Maleficent always said she was more of a neutral party; preferring to not get involved on either side.

That was probably the nicest thing Maleficent had ever said about another fairy and she hadn't actually said it to Mal. Mal just happened to be in the room while Maleficent had been plotting. One of the goblins had made the foolish suggestion of Maleficent reaching out to the other fairy folk in Auradon or the Moors for help.

That goblin hadn't been seen from since.

Mal tilted her head as she studied the God of the Dead, who was still seemingly unaware that she was watching him. She wasn't going to lie, there was something familiar about him. Obviously, she knew him since they had a partnership but that wasn't what she meant.

She couldn't help but feel safe when she was around Lord Hades, like no matter what happened he'd be there. It was stupid since she'd only really known him for a few weeks but the feeling was there.

And maybe it was just a trick of the light but did Lord Hades' chin look like Mal's?

Shaking her head, Mal started making her way back to Maleficent's; the incident from a couple of weeks ago playing in the back of her mind. Why had Lord Hades known her middle name? It wasn't like it was a guess either—'Bertha' wasn't that common of a middle name. Mal knew Lord Hades had said Maleficent had told him but that just didn't make sense.

Maleficent hated Lord Hades with all her power; honestly Mal thought that Maleficent might have hated Hades more than she hated Leah, Stephen and Phillip. Oh sure, she acted like she hated Aurora but Mal knew Maleficent still had a soft spot in her heart for her 'Beastie'.

Or at least, that's what Mal assumed based off of Maleficent's rants and plots. Mal barely heard Aurora's name mentioned.

Mal sighed; she wished she could make sense of it. Lord Hades didn't act like adults on the Isle normally acted. He made it so kids had some way of getting food and made it so it was good food. He had come to her aid when Frollo had her cornered in that alleyway.

So why would he treat her like an idiot and lie about how he knew her middle name? There were only three people on the Isle who would know that anyway. Mal obviously, Maleficent and…her father.

There's no way Lord Hades is my father. He would have mentioned that when he set up the alliance or Maleficent would have boasted it to the heavens. She may hate him but the dragon is so power-hungry that having a daughter who's half god would guarantee her control of the Isle. Not to mention her little rivalry with the Evil Queen would be over; there's no way Queenie or her daughter could top that.

Still, why else would Lord Hades know her middle name? Why would he care about a bruise on her arm? Why would he make sure she slowed down and didn't hurt herself when she was rushing through her food?

I need to talk to Uma, Mal thought and turned on her heel to Ursula's Fish and Chips. She knew Uma would be working but hopefully she'd just be on dish duty right now. Entering the restaurant that always stunk of fish and seaweed, Mal looked for her friend and ally; scanning the restaurant for a glimpse of that familiar bright blue hair.

"Hey dragon breath," Uma's voice sounded from behind her and Mal had to work to not jump. "What are you doing here? Thought you spent most of your time at Lord Hades' place now?"

"I need to talk to you," Mal said, turning around to look at the other girl who had her arms filled with dirty dishes. "That is unless you're busy, octo-girl?"

Uma chuckled. "Come on, I need to put these dishes in the back. We can talk there. Mama's in the back office but the door's shut. As long as a customer doesn't start a fight, she never comes out."

Mal nodded and the two girls made their way back into the kitchen, where Uma put the handful of dirty plates she had been holding into the sink. Said sink was already overflowing with dishes but no one seemed to mind considering Mal and Uma were the only two people back there.

"Okay," Uma said and turned to Mal. "What did you want to talk about?"

Mal took a breath to steady her nerves. "How did you know Facilier was your father?"

Uma blinked, as if not expecting that question. "I asked mama," she said after a moment's pause.

"Just like that?" Mal asked. "You just asked your mom who your dad was?"

"Well no," Uma chuckled. "After I met dad, he acted weird. Always telling me to make sure I got my cut and to try to get friends on the other side. Plus Freddie always seemed to be looking out for me whenever I found myself on dad's turf. After about a few of weeks of that, I asked mama."

"And she told you?"

"Not in so many words," Uma said. "So I asked dad. You know the motto of the Isle: Villains always lie. But mama and dad don't really talk to each other much so it's not like they could match up their stories."

Mal nodded. "So Facilier told you?" She asked to confirm what Uma had said.

"Yep," Uma nodded and frowned. "Mal, why are you asking about fathers? You never ask about them."

Mal shrugged. "Just curious. You're one of the few kids on the Isle who knows who both your parents are," she said. It wasn't worth the risk of it getting back to Maleficent before Mal was ready to broach the subject.

"Well do you want to be curious while you help me with the dishes?" Uma asked with a smirk.

Mal chuckled. "Sorry Um, but I got to get going. Maleficent won't be happy if I show up late."

Uma nodded and Mal left the kitchen, heading out of the restaurant. There wasn't anyone else she could talk to about their parents—Harry had known his mother but talking about Milah right now just made Harry mad. Mal was in a bind but she wasn't that desperate that she'd make her crew mate upset.

She wasn't that close to Jay that she could ask the older boy about his mom. Jacqueline, of Jack and the Beanstalk infamy, had been one of the few good parents the Isle had. So of course, the Isle had to take her when Jay was four. Maleficent had already partnered with Jafar at that point so Mal had hazy memories of Jay walking around Maleficent's 'castle', holding back tears.

Besides, Jay's a bit too dangerous of an option. He may be a thief but his dad's still in league with Maleficent, Mal thought. The odds of it getting back to Maleficent were too high if Mal talked to Jay.

There were only two options remaining to her, and the one Mal was considering was probably the most dangerous option she had. She'd have to talk to Maleficent about her father face to face. It was a lot safer than Maleficent finding out Mal was asking about her father around the Isle.

Oh Gods, please let her be in a good mood, Mal thought as she entered her home. Either that, or please make it so I can easily access the exits if needed. I don't think I could take another 'punishment' right now.

Mal knew where Maleficent was, it was the same place she always was. Her little throne room was where most of her plotting was done and where she met with her allies, like Jafar and Cruella. Mal didn't fully understand why her birth giver had paired up with Cruella over other magic users like Madam Mim. The hunters had their gang, why not make it so Maleficent's gang was only magic users?

Besides, Cruella's son was a wimp. Only three years old but cowered like a baby. It was almost pitiful. The Isle was going to swallow him whole if DeVil didn't toughen up.

Thankfully, Maleficent was alone when Mal entered the room.

"Mother?" Mal said, thankful she hadn't called Maleficent by her name again. Her arm may have healed but her ribs still smarted.

"What?" Maleficent snapped, turning toward Mal who had grown silent upon hearing Maleficent. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. "Spit it out."

"Why does Lord Hades know my middle name?" Mal asked, the question coming out of her mouth a bit faster than normal as to prevent losing her nerve.

"How should I know what that has-been God knows or doesn't know?" Maleficent scoffed.

Mal took a breath and looked at Maleficent. "It's just, mother, there's only three people on the Isle who would or should know my middle name. You, me…and my father."

Maleficent's eyes flashed and Mal backed up a tad, making sure the doorway was still right behind her in case she needed to make a quick getaway.

"I told you never to mention that weakling in my presence!" Maleficent growled, leaning forward in her chair.

Mal nodded. "Yes mother, you did. But when I have the Lord of the Underworld knowing information that only my father would know, I thought I would ask. Uma knows who her father is, don't I have the right to know who mine is too?"

Maleficent seemed to still and Mal wondered if she had stepped too far over the line. It was risky enough to talk about her father but to tell Maleficent that Mal had the right to know her father's identity?

Maybe Uma will say some nice words when the dragon kills me, Mal thought, nervously eyeing Maleficent.

"The only thing you have the right to know is that your father was a weakling who walked out on the both of us," Maleficent told her, the tone of her voice dangerously low. "He didn't want you. If you want to be a weakling like him and believe whatever stupid fantasy you concocted in your head, have at it!"

"Fine, mother, I will!" Mal shouted, her own nerve startling her, and turned on her heel; surprised Maleficent hadn't decided Mal needed to learn another lesson in respect. Then again, there was always the chance Maleficent would teach her that lesson later.

Heading back out to the Isle, Mal sighed. Maleficent had been a bust but what had Mal really expected? For the older fairy to sit Mal on her lap and tell her that, yes, the Lord of the Underworld had been her father?

Honestly I think I might have run out of the room screaming if that had happened, Mal thought with a frown. Maleficent on a rampage, ranting in anger? That Mal could handle. But the thought of Maleficent being nice, even in her own head, was truly terrifying.

There was only option left now if Mal wanted to know the truth. The problem was, she'd have to go to the man she had accused of lying to her.

Gods don't take insults well, Mal thought as she made her way along the path back to Lord Hades' restaurant. I mean, Athena turned Arachne into a spider because she claimed she was better at spinning and weaving than her. What would Hades do to me for calling him a liar?

The only silver lining Mal could think of was the fact that there was no one in the restaurant at the time Mal had said that. No witnesses meant Lord Hades wouldn't be too rough with his revenge. Right?

Plus, the barrier meant there wasn't a chance of fireballs. Mal could easily escape if Hades tried to lay a hand on her but fireballs would allow Lord Hades the luxury of distance.

Opening the door, Mal wasn't surprised to see the restaurant was dead inside. It had only been three hours since she dropped off the delivery. Despite the fact that it was called the lunch rush, there was never really much of a rush. Dinner was the more popular time, considering most villains hadn't eaten all day and were usually desperate.

"What can I get you?" Hades asked from the counter, his back to Mal.

"I'd settle for answers," Mal said softly and Hades turned around to face her.

"Mal?" Hades asked as if shocked to see her in the restaurant. "You already dropped the delivery off. You don't have to stop by here twice in one day."

Mal couldn't help but smirk a little at that before sobering back up. This was her one chance to find out the truth. She didn't want to blow it.

"Can I ask you a question?" Mal asked, walking closer to Lord Hades.

"Well you technically already did but you can ask another one," Hades told her, leaning on the counter. He smiled at her; he had been worried that he had blown his chance at building a relationship with her after the whole 'middle name' debacle four weeks ago.

Mal bit her lip in thought, trying to figure out how to word her question in a way that wouldn't wind up with her being smote.

"Mal, you can ask your question," Hades said with a small smile and Mal sighed. She gathered up her courage and asked the question that had been growing in her mind all day. She didn't even care if it gave Lord Hades something over her; at this point she just wanted an answer.

"Are you my father?"


	12. Chapter 12

Hades could honestly say that he had not expected that question to come from Mal. At the very least he had expected it when she was a lot older, like maybe thirteen or so. But he saw no reason to lie to the girl, especially since she was coming to him for the answers. If anything, she'd probably be a lot more likely to believe him since she was coming to him instead of vice versa.

"Yes Mal, I am," he said after a few minutes of silence, giving a nod as if accentuating his point. Mal tilted her head as if in thought and Hades couldn't help but be amused. So she did get something from me, at least behavior wise, he thought considering his daughter was pretty much a Maleficent clone though the purple hair was entirely her own.

Her green eyes though were one hundred percent Maleficent however Mal's eyes shown with a fire that was different than that of his ex-wife's. While Maleficent's seemed to shine with rage, Mal's shone with a curiosity and a passion that had yet to be extinguished by life on the Isle or with Maleficent. One could argue, however, that Mal's lean frame could come from Hades.

Compared to my brothers, I'm not the most muscular of the Gods, Hades thought. But the Fae were always seen as lean creatures themselves. Maleficent was no body builder after all. Plus Mal's been on an Isle where rotten food is the main course. As much as I can try at the restaurant, I'm still working with the food Auradon sends us. Gods, if only I could get my hands on something fresh!

"Why did you leave?" Mal asked, her voice soft and breaking Hades out of his thoughts. "Mal—Mother always said that my father walked out on her and me."

Hades sighed and walked around the counter. This was a conversation that he would need to be sitting down to have. Quickly walking to the door and locking it as to not be disturbed, he sat down at one of the tables. Mal quickly followed suit, scrambling into one of the chairs as fast as she could as to not delay getting the information.

"I'm not going to lie and say I tried to stay," Hades said once Mal got settled. Hades had never noticed before how Mal seemed to be too small to sit comfortably in the chairs. She must have been sitting on her knees, he thought and made the resolve to get something to act as a booster. Maybe a phone book—Auradon threw enough of those away that he could pretend it was extra padding for the seat. "In fact, I left your mother when you were about three weeks old."

"Why?" Mal asked.

"Your mother. She's…she's not the easiest to get along with. I didn't want to have you live in a home where your parents were always fighting," Hades told her, even if that wasn't truthfully the reason why he left. He just couldn't stand being around Maleficent a moment longer. However, while he may have hated the fairy, he wasn't going to trash Maleficent in front of Mal. Though, judging by Mal's comment about him, it was clear that Maleficent did not return the favor. "But Mal, I want you to know I never left you. In fact, you lived with me until you were four months old."

Mal bit her lip, unsure as to whether she should believe him. After all, she was living with Maleficent without him. That was a pretty clear sign that he had left her behind.

But Maleficent always lies, she thought. Why should we believe her now? After all, she said my father was weak and mortal. It certainly takes strength to tell Maleficent no and clearly he's not mortal if he's a God.

Why are we believing him though? He could be lying to try to gain power on the Isle?

If he was looking for a power grab, he would have claimed he was my father the moment Maleficent allowed me to walk freely around the Isle. He would have told Uma and he would have probably grabbed me back when I ran into his legs all those months ago.

But Maleficent-

Screw Maleficent! If you want to believe the dragon, go ahead but I say it's a safer bet with Hades!

"Why did that change? I mean I'm living with mother right now. Did you change your mind?" Mal asked, breaking herself out of her thoughts, and Hades sighed. That had to be the question that was most like a slap in the face. He would never change his mind about wanting Mal.

"Your mother had…let's call it a change of heart and wanted you back," Hades said, fudging the truth a little. He didn't want to, but how could he explain to his five year old that she had basically been a hostage for five years? That the only reason why he didn't steal her back was because of the threat to her safety? "Due to the registry from Auradon and the fact that your mother had only herself listed as your parent, I had no choice but to let her have you. Otherwise she might have issued a complaint to Auradon."

"The registry?" Mal asked, tilting her head again. She had heard Maleficent talk about it before but she didn't really understand what it was. Hades chuckled a little at her reaction.

"It's how Auradon keeps track of the growing population of the Isle," he said and Mal nodded.

"How do they keep track of the population going in the other direction?" Mal asked and it was Hades' turn to tilt his head in slight confusion. "You know, all the kids who are dying because of the lack of food?" Mal clarified and Hades stilled. It wasn't a question one expected from a five year old.

Then again, I guess when your father's the God of the Dead you're going to notice the death around you a lot more, he thought with an inward frown.

"I'm not sure Mal," he said softly and then, desperate to change the subject, said, "I'm sure you've got a lot more questions."

Mal shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "So what am I?"

"What do you mean?" Hades asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know, am I a demi-goddess? A Fae? I'm clearly not mortal," Mal elaborated and Hades nodded, realizing what Mal was asking.

"Technically you'd be a demi-goddess but since you're also half Fae it's hard to say for sure. Though that brings up an important point. Mal, you can tell people that you're my daughter if you want but I would advise caution."

"Why?" Mal asked. "I'd be one of the few kids who knows who both my parents are on the Isle. That's rare."

Hades chuckled. "True. But the last thing I want is for a target to be put on you because of me. The barrier severely limits your magic. Oh sure they claim that all magic is suppressed but there's no way to truly suppress a god's magic. Fairy magic is only so powerful. Even with Zeus aiding in the creation of the barrier."

"Unless they had that potion you fed to Jerkules," Mal pointed out and Hades frowned. That wasn't really something he wanted to be reminded of by his five year old. Plus Steph would probably tell him that Mal shouldn't refer to her cousin that way, that Hercules would be a good ally to have if Mal ever got off the Isle, yada yada yada.

Speaking of Persephone, I should bring Mal to the Underworld. Steph's been dying to talk to Mal. The only reason she hasn't is because of Maleficent's spies being all over the place. If one of them caught her talking to Mal, it might not have been good for Mal.

"Yeah well they only made one of those potions and I don't remember where I had gotten it in the first place," Hades said, pulling himself out of his thoughts. Good thing, otherwise Zeus probably would have insisted I take it before they put me on the Isle, he thought before mentally shaking his head. The last thing he wanted to do was think about his brother while talking with his daughter. "So while I can't turn into a giant fireball, I can still use a bit of my flame."

He conjured up a small blue fireball to prove his point before extinguishing it, not wanting to risk Mal getting burnt.

Though there is that old saying about fire not being able to burn a dragon…

You sure you want to risk Mal getting hurt over that? You don't even know if that saying is true!

"Will I be able to do that too?" Mal asked, her eyes widening in wonder, and pulling Hades out of his thoughts.

"I see no reason why not," Hades told her. "You're my daughter after all."

Gods it feels good to say that to her and know she'll actually remember it, Hades thought with a smile. His daughter. No matter how she tried, Maleficent would never be able to take this moment away from him.

Mal paused for a moment, as if in thought. "Is that why my eyes have been glowing?" Mal asked softly.

It wasn't because of the Fae powers at all. It was my God powers! Why didn't Maleficent tell me my father was a God? Doesn't that seem like something I have the right to know?

"It's possible," Hades said. "Though it's also possible that it's your Fae powers coming in. I doubt your mother has explained anything to you though."

Mal shook her head and Hades sighed. Of course Maleficent hadn't explained anything to Mal. That would be too much to ask of the older fairy.

"So it could be either my God powers or my Fae powers causing my eyes to glow," Mal sighed. "Great. Glad that we cleared that up."

Hades chuckled. "Well we've got time to figure out what's causing your eyes to glow. You're half God after all."

Mal nodded and grew silent for a moment. "So what do I call you? You know, when we're alone like this?"

"Whatever you want," Hades told her.

Mal nodded and bit her lip in thought. She wasn't sure what she was going to call Hades.

What about father? After all, we call Maleficent mother.

But that's only in public and it's because Maleficent would beat us bloody if we didn't. Remember when we were four and we called her by her name in front of the Evil Queen?

And we're positive the beating wasn't because we disrespected her in front of EQ rather than forgetting to call her mother?

I'm pretty sure the broken ankle you got didn't care about the details as to why it was received!

Okay, okay. We're getting off topic anyway.

True. What about dad? You know, since it's pretty much the opposite situation that we have with Maleficent? He acts like our father in private but has to pretend otherwise in public?

So why not call him father? After all, he's only really been our father for the past few weeks.

Hades watched as Mal seemed to think over what she was going to call him. He honestly didn't care as long as Mal was in his life.

"Father?" Mal said softly and Hades almost missed it.

"I'm sorry?"

Mal rolled her eyes. "Father. That's what I want to call you."

Hades nodded. "Okay. Father it is then."

After all, Wonderbreath called Zeus father; as did Triton to Poseidon. It was only fitting that Mal called Hades father as well.

"Hang on," Mal said slowly as if coming to a realization, "does this mean Uma's my cousin? Since her grandfather's Poseidon?"

"Yes, the little squidling's your cousin," Hades nodded with a small smile. While he didn't have the closest relationship with Ursula or Uma, he was happy his daughter had a friendship within the family.

"What about Panic's kid, Virgil?" Mal asked. "Everyone knows that he's the son of Vanessa and since Vanessa was just Ursula's human form that somehow got split from her when the barrier went up…"

"I'm still trying to figure that one out," Hades told her. "For now, I'm leaning toward 'yes' but still want to do some research into it."

Gods if that's true, then I'd have to call Panic my nephew-in-law. Is that even a thing?

Knowing my luck, it would be.

Eh, Panic's a good minion. A bit well panicky but he's less likely to keep things from you than Pain is. Thank gods Pain never reproduced.

"But I still shouldn't tell them?" Mal asked, once again pulling Hades out of his thoughts. "That we're cousins I mean?"

"It's up to you Mali," Hades said, his old nickname for her slipping out as if it'd been weeks instead of years since he used it. "Like I said, there's a risk of a target getting put on you if word got out you were the daughter of Hades."

Mal nodded. "Oh. Well I guess it can't hurt to keep it to myself for a while. Besides if we still don't know if Virgil is my cousin, then we shouldn't get his hopes up."

"Exactly," Hades chuckled at the innocence used in that logic. Maleficent hadn't completely twisted his daughter.

Speaking of mothers and daughters….

"Hey Mal?" Hades asked as he got up. "You want to go meet your step mother?"

Mal smiled and took his offered hand. "Yes father!"

Hades couldn't help but grin at the ease the word had come out of his daughter's mouth. "Then let's go."

They would probably hear Persephone's squeal of joy from Auradon when she saw Mal.


	13. Chapter 13

The father and daughter quickly made their way through the streets of the Isle toward the Underworld. Hades tried to make sure he kept his pace to one that Mal could match without seeming like he was slowing down for her.

Thankfully, the streets were empty wherever they went. Whether that was because someone had spread the word that Hades was coming or if it was because they were worried about upsetting Maleficent, Hades didn't know. Nor did he particularly care. As long as they didn't impede him from getting Mal to the Underworld, they could go dress in drag and do the hula for all Hades cared.

Though now the image of Hook and Gaston potentially doing that was seared into Hades' brain…it was a good thing Gaston thought himself too manly to actually do that or Hades would have to kill him. The God would have no choice in the matter.

Should I be worried that Mal's so quiet? Hades thought about halfway through their trek. Mal had been keeping pace with him quite nicely but she had been quiet. Maybe she's worried about slipping up? Saying something that someone else might hear? I mean, I want her to be proud to be my daughter. I just don't want the potential target on her back. She's already got one simply by being Maleficent's daughter, she doesn't need another one.

Though I'd love it if Maleficent came after me for this. Give me the chance to give her a piece of my mind about how she's been treating my daughter.

Hades let out a soft sigh. There was no way Maleficent would actually confront Hades about this. She would never actually do her own dirty work. That was left for her goblin minions after all.

Though, the poor souls who crossed her last just opened up a coffee shop. Cause that's what people want—coffee made out of the junk Auradon sends us. Who in their right mind wants curds in their coffee? Because that's what people would get if they put in the month old milk we're lucky to get.

That formula Steph had brought over back when they had Mal had been a lifesaver for a lot of the kids Mal's age and younger. Since Steph had brought over a six month supply under the guise of helping the infants of the Isle, it wasn't doing much good just sitting in Hades' kitchen after Maleficent stole Mal from them.

Slowly yet surely, Persephone had made it available to the other new parents of the Isle. Some, like the Evil Queen, turned it down; claiming all the formula would do was make her daughter fat. Others, like Gaston, turned it down as they considered it an insult that Persephone was implying they couldn't produce food for their kid.

Thank the Gods for Claudette and Milah, Hades thought as they continued to make their way to the Underworld. They at least accepted some of the formula for when Gaston foisted Gil off onto her so he could get drunk with LeFou and Hook. That way, Harry had something to eat too. I almost wish we had still had some of the formula when CJ was born but with Milah's death, there was no way Hook would have accepted it.

There were a few parents, mainly the lower ranked villains, who were more willing to accept the formula. Though, since it obviously came from Auradon, they took some convincing that it was actually good to consume. Normally they'd be accused of being overly paranoid but one look at what the adults had to eat said otherwise.

Sighing, Hades shook his head a little to clear it of such thoughts. He was about to re-introduce Mal to her step last thing he needed was memories of Steph crying on the couch in the den because another infant died running through his head.

"Steph?" Hades called out as he entered the Underworld, Mal in tow.

"Steph?" Mal repeated softly, looking at Hades in confusion, but Hades didn't hear her.

"In the kitchen! Your dishes are going to take over the sink if they're not done soon!" Persephone shouted back but walked out to him. "Hades, I swear. What is the point of having minions if you don't…"

She trailed off upon seeing Mal standing next to him. Hades could see her eyes light up as she took in the sight of their daughter standing in front of her.

"Mal, this is your step mother Persephone," Hades said gently, going to stand next to Persephone.

Mal gave a small smile. "It's nice to meet you Lady Stepho—I mean Perstephone. Er—"

"Mal, sweetheart, you can just call me 'Steph'," Persephone said, giving Mal a kind smile. "Have you had lunch yet? I was just heating up some leftovers from your father's restaurant."

Mal shrugged, hoping she didn't seem too eager for the food. "I can eat. If it's not too much trouble, I mean."

"If it was any trouble, I wouldn't have offered," Persephone said, gently taking her hand and leading her to the kitchen. Hades sighed with a small smile before ducking away; walking down the hall and opening the door to Mal's nursery for the first time since that faithful day.

It was exactly as he had left it all those years ago. Granted a little dustier than normal but Pain and Panic had kept to the orders not to touch anything. The crib was still on its side, the pillow strewn on the ground as if the goblins had tossed the room only an hour ago rather than five years ago.

This would be a good room for her, he thought as he ran a finger over the chest of drawers, looking disgusted at the dust buildup. I'd have to move the crib into storage for her to use if she has kids in the far, far, far off future.

He shook his head and stopped. Wait, what am I thinking? Maleficent still has Mal regardless of her knowing about Steph and me. If I took Mal from her now, all Maleficent would have to do is file a complaint to Auradon. There may not have been any inspectors since Belle's failed pregnancy but knowing Maleficent, she'd find a way to get a report to Beastie.

If Belle and Beast thought Mal might be in the crosshairs of a custody battle between the Isle's two biggest bads…no wait, there's no way Maleficent would actually admit to the royals of Auradon that Hades was Mal's father.

They'd probably just send in guards, take Mal, and give her back to Maleficent. And then find a way to punish me for wanting to live with my daughter. Maybe prevent me from seeing Steph, he thought bitterly.

"When's the last time you were in here?" Persephone's voice asked, bringing Hades out of his thoughts.

"Probably the last time we had the door open," Hades admitted, turning toward his wife. "It's hard to believe how big she's gotten."

"Kids grow," Persephone said gently, walking toward him. "She's so small though. You weren't kidding when you told me that."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Why would I joke about that?"

"You know what I mean," Persephone sighed and Hades brought her into his arms, giving a light kiss to the top of her head. "I've got her set up with some of the fish from the restaurant and some milk I managed to bring from Auradon that I put in the fridge."

"That stuff's still good?"

"Do you really think I would have given Mal something that went bad?" Persephone asked as they left the room, closing the door behind them. "Mother gave me a cooler blessed to keep things fresh the last time I was on Olympus. She may not be pleased we're still together but she has been hinting at grandchildren so she's at least accepted the fact I'm not going to up and leave you."

Hades coughed, slightly taken aback. "Did you tell her—?"

"No Hades. I didn't. Mal may be our daughter but I won't tell people if you don't want me too," Persephone said as they entered the kitchen, Mal eagerly eating the food in front of her. Persephone stared sadly at Mal wolfing down the fish like someone would steal it from her if she ate at a normal pace.

"Mal, slow down," Hades said gently yet with a firm edge to his voice. "No one is going to take that from you. Not here."

Already getting back into the swing of things, parental wise, Persephone thought with a small smile. She had wondered how Hades was going to handle the fact that he would have to be firm at times. Mal wasn't a baby anymore as much as Persephone wished that was possible. But the last thing Mal would want would be the two of them babying her. No kid on the Isle wanted that.

"Yes father," Mal said softly, pulling Persephone out of her thoughts, and slowed her pace a little. It was odd, hearing Hades referred to as 'father'. That was something normally used to refer to Zeus or sometimes Poseidon, though the two of them had grown used to their new title of 'grandfather'. Persephone couldn't help but wonder what Mal would have used if she had grown up with Hades as her parent.

Not daddy, no matter what I don't see Mal as a 'daddy' type of girl, Persephone thought. Maybe pateras? After all, Hades is the Greek God of the Dead. It would make sense for her to use the Greek word for father.

Honestly, with the French background of Maleficent and Aurora's story, Persephone was a little surprised that Mal hadn't chosen père to use to refer to Hades. Then again, Maleficent didn't strike Persephone as the type to teach much French other than possibly swear words or maybe even some spells. If she bothered to teach Mal anything at all.

"I'm done," Mal said softly.

"Did you get enough?" Persephone asked, going to clear the empty plate and glass. Mal looked a bit perplexed.

"I can do that," she said.

Persephone shook her head. "I was already up dear. Besides, I'm still waging war on those dishes in the sink. Pain and Panic really need to learn how to do them."

"Or I could get Virgil on it," Hades pointed out as he leaned on the doorframe. He would have offered to do it but the sight of Persephone and Mal together was one he didn't want to let go of. "He's eight after all, perfectly old enough to do a chore or two."

Mal tilted her head. "I could do it," she said softly. Maleficent always stressed the importance of earning one's keep, or at least not being a pest so that the trash underneath didn't grow to resent you and try to overthrow you. If Steph and Hades…father were going to willingly give her some of their food, Mal was going to make sure she earned it.

"Oh Mal," Persephone gave a small, sad smile as she heard that. "You don't have to do that sweetheart. But if you wanted to help, or even stay here while I do it, I'd appreciate the company."

Mal nodded as she sat back a little in her chair. Hades frowned as he realized that, other than being friendly with Hook Jr and Uma, he didn't know much about what his daughter liked to do.

Then again, Maleficent doesn't seem like the type to encourage extracurriculars. At least not the type like art or anything that didn't seem 'evil', Hades thought as he watched Mal doodle a little with the condensation left on the table from the milk glass. He couldn't tell what it was supposed to be but it was very good for being a doodle in water.

"You're good," he said softly and Mal jumped a little, wiping the doodle away.

"It's nothing," she said quickly. Hades frowned but didn't comment; she had just found out that he was her father. The last thing Hades wanted to do was make Mal feel that they were moving too fast. Mal quickly scurried off her stool and went to go help Persephone, probably hoping that it would get Hades to forget about the doodle.

Hades watched with a small smile as his two girls made short work of the dishes; Persephone earning some squeals from Mal as the goddess splashed her a little with the water. This was how their life should have been. Not for the first time since he left Maleficent did Hades curse the existence of that woman.

Gods, the only reason you took Mal back was for your own ego. You just couldn't handle the rumors spreading that I had stolen your child, Hades thought with an inward glare. You don't love Mal, Maleficent. To you, she's nothing more than a minion with your bloodline.

Before Hades knew it, though, Mal was saying she had to leave.

"Are you sure?" Persephone asked. "You can always stay here."

Mal shook her head. "Mother will be looking for me," she said softly. Hades didn't even need to look at Persephone to know that was a lie. "Besides, I should leave before it gets too dark."

Hades sighed but nodded. She had a point there; the older gangs liked to roam the streets at night and most of them wouldn't think twice at the chance to get one over on Maleficent. Even if that meant hurting Mal.

"You know you're welcome here anytime," Persephone said as they walked Mal to the door. "Day, night, rain or shine."

Hades knelt down to Mal's level as Mal opened her mouth. "You're my daughter. I know your…mother may have told you things about me but I'm sure you've learned that she's not the most honest of creatures. You need anything, I'll be there."

"What's the catch?" Mal asked.

"No catch," Hades told her. "I don't make deals with my daughter."

"We have an alliance though—"

"An alliance is not a deal," Hades told her. "Well I mean, it kind of is in that we shook on it but at the same time it's not since you're getting the better end of the deal there."

"Rambling dear," Persephone told him. "Besides, you're getting into semantics at this point."

Mal tilted her head. "Would I still be your errand rat?"

"Do you want to be?" Hades asked.

Mal shrugged. "It's kinda cool, being Lord Hades' errand rat," she said. "Even if only Harriet knows it."

Hades couldn't help but smile a little at that, knowing that his daughter thought it was cool being connected to him. "Well then, you can still be my errand rat. And your gang still gets free food at the restaurant, that part of the alliance is still going."

"Good," Mal grinned as she turned to leave. Hades sighed as the door to the Underworld clang shut and Persephone turned toward him.

"I'm taking her with me," she said and Hades stared. He hadn't expected that.

"What?"

"The next time I go to Auradon. She's coming with me Hades," Persephone elaborated, walking back to the kitchen. "Look at her! She deserves so much more than how Maleficent treats her!"

"Steph, I want Mal off this Isle as badly as you do but think about it for a minute—"

"What's to think about? The Gods have had numerous children; hell Aphrodite and Athena were born as fully formed adults! I could claim the same. Say Mal was mine and that she was just born as a five year old."

"And who would you say is the father?" Hades asked. "Me, you'd have to say she's my daughter. Then you've got a problem because in Beastie and Belle's eyes, you haven't taken your child off the Isle. You've taken a prisoner off the Isle."

"Hades, Mal doesn't deserve it here! You saw the way she scarfed down the fish! That was probably the first bit of food she had gotten all day if Maleficent had anything to say about it."

"Steph, think about this rationally. If you got caught sneaking Mal off the Isle, then you'd get put here permanently. You're our one link to Auradon now that the inspectors have stopped coming. The limited medical supplies we do have, the few books, the food…we owe that all to you," Hades said, resting a hand on Persephone's shoulder. "I love you. You would be miserable seeing the kids suffer and not be able to do anything to help. I couldn't bare to see you like that."

Persephone sighed. "But…if Mal was there, in Auradon, she could plead before Belle," she said, trying to find someway to counter Hades' argument. "Belle would be devastated to learn about the state of the Isle."

"We've been like this for nine years Steph," Hades said gently. "Sure it's gotten worse since Belle's miscarriage but we've been dealing with the lack of resources since the Isle was founded. When Mal's asking me questions about how Auradon keeps track of all the people on the Isle who have died, it's safe to assume Belle and Beast just don't care anymore."

Persephone sighed and buried her head in Hades' chest. "I hate the fact that you're right," she muttered.

"Think of the life that would be for Mal if you didn't tell people about her," Hades said softly, running his hand down Persephone's back. "Always hiding, fearful of being discovered. The Isle may be a prison but she can run freely here."

Persephone nodded. "I know. I just…"

"I know," Hades said gently. "I do too. But she knows now. She can start to come home."

The words he thought he would never get the chance to say; the words that made five years of waiting worth it.

Mal could come home.


	14. Chapter 14

Mal made her way through the streets of the Isle, happy as can be though she was careful not to let it show on her face. She may have only been five but she knew Maleficent had spies everywhere. If one of them reported that she was grinning like an Auradon Princess, it would only mean bad things for Mal.

Still, just because she couldn't show it didn't mean she didn't feel it. She knew who her father was! That was something only a handful of children on the Isle could say—that they knew who both their parents were.

And most of the ones that do know don't get to keep them, Mal thought as she jumped through a mud puddle, relishing the feeling of the water soaking through her socks. The only other person who liked the feeling was Uma; even Harry thought they were a little weird for it. It's bad enough Boreadon hates us enough not to send decent food half the time but you'd think all the Prissy Princesses would care about people dying in the streets or at the very least care about kids dying if not the adults.

Then again, these were the children of villains after all. Auradon probably just assumed they deserved it.

Mal scowled, though, as she caught sight of the only prissy princess on the Isle. Evelyn, or Evie as she insisted to be called, was Evil Queen's daughter and the complete opposite of Mal in every way; tall and lean, with long luscious tendrils of blue hair growing out of her head and a crown that always sat perfectly perched centered in her widow's peak. She always seemed to be wearing a dress, even if it was in the same type of material as the other Isle clothes.

Meanwhile Mal was short with dark purple hair self cut into a messy bob. Long hair was a danger on the Isle; someone could easily grab it if you tried to run away or it could get stuck on something. Uma was one of the few girls on the Isle to have long hair and it not look prissy; with her teal blue hair in tight braids.

Then again, Uma was skilled with a sword or at least as skilled as a five year old could be. If someone tried to grab her, it'd be their funeral. Especially if they tried to do it around Mal or Harry.

Mal's clothes were leather, just like Evie's, but instead of a dress Mal opted for pants and a short sleeved shirt. Sure she got cold easier but short sleeves meant less material was wasted on the clothes. It also made it so again she could get away easier.

I don't know how she can call herself an Isle kid and survive, Mal thought with an eye roll. The 'princess' was about three months older than Mal but it was the only achievement the little brat had over her. At least the only one that counted—if Mal had to hear about how good the little 'evilette-in-training' was at sewing and cooking the next time Evil Queen and Maleficent had their little get togethers—get togethers that only served to raise Maleficent's ire and nothing more—Mal was probably going to scream.

Mal stopped for a second as a thought came to her, as thoughts often do. I outrank the princess now, she thought with a smirk. Well technically, Mal already outranked Evie in terms of the Isle's hierarchy. One of the few good things about being seen as Maleficent's daughter, you found yourself elevated to the top of the food chain without needing to do anything.

But God outranked fairy in terms of life's hierarchy…and it definitely outranked mortal.

Father wouldn't be happy if I just started bragging about being his daughter though. Especially since he said that doing that might put a target on my back, Mal thought with a small frown. Besides, why should Blueberry know before Uma? I actually like Uma for one and for another thing we're cousins! Just ignore the 'princess' and head over to the clubhouse. Harry and Uma should be there by now.

Fate, however, would not allow her to ignore the Bluette as Evie saw and gave a small wave in Mal's direction.

Ugh, fine. Now I have to talk to her since we're on the same side of the road. I can't just turn and cross—well I mean I can but is it worth it? If Maleficent found out I was rude to Princess Blueberry…honestly I don't think she'd care but it's not worth the risk.

"Princess," Mal said shortly, nodding her head.

"Hello Mal," Evie smiled. "I hope you're well?"

Mal snorted. Trust Blueberry to use a phrase like 'I hope you're well' and probably mean it, she thought. She really thinks of herself as a princess.

"Got enough stuff there?" Mal scoffed, noting all the bags Evie was ladened down with. Where she had gotten half the stuff in her arms, Mal didn't know nor did she particularly care.

Evie looked down. "Oh, well mother's preparing for my birthday. It's coming up in a couple of weeks you know."

"And she sent you?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow. The Evil Queen didn't strike Mal as someone who would send her daughter out to run errands. She would have thought they would have had minions for that. Then again, it was shopping. If there was anything Mal knew about Evie, it was how much she just loved shopping.

"Of course," Evie said, standing straighter than Mal thought possible.

"Whatever princess," Mal scoffed. "Tell you what, as a birthday present Uma and I won't pelt you with smoke bombs."

Ever since they had perfected their formula, the two girls had used smoke bombs whenever possible. Though their favorite target was Evie whenever possible.

That's probably why Blueberry's talking to me now, Mal thought. We're out in the open and I don't have a bag with me so there's no chance I could hit her with a smoke bomb. Huh, that's not a bad idea now that I think about it. But why would someone just carry a bag with them if they don't need it? Seems like a waste of time.

Evie rolled her eyes. "You know Mal, if you're going to act like that, maybe I won't invite you to my party."

"If that's your idea of a threat, princess, it needs some work," Mal chuckled as she walked off. She knew she had an invite guaranteed. Not that she wanted to go but everyone on the Isle knew Maleficent's story and what she did because she hadn't been invited to Aurora's christening. No one wanted to potentially earn Maleficent's wrath by purposefully snubbing her daughter.

I mean it's not like Maleficent would care that I wasn't invited. Oh no, it'd be the insult to her she'd care about, Mal thought as she made her way to her clubhouse. Uma had been the one to find it back when they were four. It wasn't much, mainly empty rooms but it was a place that was theirs. None of the adults knew it existed meaning if any of their parents ever went looking for them, they'd never find them.

Lobbing a rock at the 'Flying Rocks' sign to open the gate, Mal made her way up to the clubhouse.

"Hey guys?" Mal called as she finished climbing up the stairs. "You here?"

"Hey Mal," Uma grinned, hopping up from the milk crate that she was using for a seat.

"You look like you have news."

Uma smirked. "Me and Harry saw one of Old man Slade's chickens in town today."

"This is news? Everyone knows Old man Slade was the one to take in the chickens that somehow made their way onto the barge," Mal said, rolling her eyes. No one knew how those stupid birds wound up on the barge but Old man Slade as he was called was the only one willing to take them in. No one wanted to even eat them due to how little meat there was. Plus Slade was one of the rare exceptions to the urban environment, having a farm on the edge of the Isle.

A few kids tried to steal a chicken once a year early on but that stopped once they came face to face with Slade's shot gun or his dog Chief.

"No Mal. We saw them in town," Uma told her. "Meaning they escaped Slade's farm."

"Oh. Ooh!"

"I think she's got it," Harry smirked. "We were thinking we could catch one of those feathery rats. The one we saw looked fairly plump for the birds that came from the barge; Slade's been feeding them well."

Mal chuckled. "You mean you'd be fine with eating something other than fish, Harry? I know how loyal you are to your dad's fish shop."

"Hey it's meat." Harry shrugged. "Plus it's food that's ours. Boreadon had no say in it."

Mal nodded. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"You."

Mal chuckled and the three of them left the clubhouse to go further into town where Uma and Harry had seen the chickens. It took maybe thirty minutes before they caught sight of one.

"Allow me girls," Harry smirked as he walked up to grab it. Sauntering up to the chicken, Harry reached out to snatch it. Sadly, for Harry that is, the chicken was smart enough to avoid being captured and all Harry got was an introduction to the pavement.

"Oh well done," Mal said dryly as Uma rolled her eyes.

"Well I don't see either of you doing it!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing his chin where he'd hit it on the ground. Uma and Mal smirked and they dove for the chicken. One skinned knee and bruised elbow later, the three kids were back in their clubhouse; nursing their wounds.

"It's impossible! We'll never catch one of those feathered demons."

"Maybe we won't," Mal said slowly, as an idea came to her. "But I know someone who might be able to. But we'll have to make a deal with him. He won't just do it for free."

"Any self respecting villain kid wouldn't do a job for free," Uma scoffed. "Who is he?"

"Jay."

Uma nodded. "He'd be good at it. But what can we offer him? He's a year older than us, there's no way he'd be willing to make a deal with younger kids."

Mal thought for a minute. Uma had a point; even though Jafar was in league with Maleficent, that didn't automatically mean Jay would agree to a deal with Mal's crew. Especially since they were a year younger.

Younger meant weaker. No one wanted to associate themselves with someone they thought to be weak.

"We could bring him into the crew," Mal said slowly. "Offer him a place to sleep in the clubhouse, you know if we ever get furniture in here. Protection, stuff like that."

"That's not a bad idea," Uma said. "Plus, he's older than us. We'd elevate our status among the kids of the Isle if we were seen giving an older kid orders and him going along with it."

"Whoa, girls! Think about it," Harry exclaimed. "Do we really want to bring that sneaky scarf stealer into the crew? Besides, Mal, his dad's already in league with the dragon. I think he's good to go in terms of protection."

"Don't be jealous Harry," Mal chuckled.

"I'm not. I just don't see why we need to bring in new blood," Harry stated, crossing his arms. "We work just fine the way we are Mal. Besides, what can Jay offer that I don't?"

"Two completely useable hands for one?" Mal stated, shooting a look at the hook that occupied Harry's right hand. He didn't need the hook but due to the young boy's desire to be exactly like his father, Harry had started carrying it around. The only time he didn't was when he was sparing Mal and Uma—and that was only because he liked to switch hands mid fight.

"Harry's right," Uma interjected, preventing Harry from shooting a response back at Mal. "I still think it's a good idea but we really need something Jay can't say no to."

Mal smirked. "I think I know of something. You guys know how I'm Lord Hades' errand rat right?"

"Yeah," Harry and Uma nodded. Being an errand rat wasn't usually something to be proud of but Lord Hades never had errand rats. Just that fact alone was worth telling Uma and Harry but they had to know about the deal. Otherwise, they wouldn't have known they would be able to get free food too.

"Well part of the deal is that me and my gang get free food at his restaurant whenever we go in," Mal said. "Think about it. If you were Jay, would you turn down that kind of food security?"

Plus there was no way her father would say no to that sort of thing. He'd probably put a limit on how many kids could be in Mal's gang but one more kid getting free food wouldn't put his restaurant under.

"Think Lord Hades would go for it?" Harry asked. "Or do you think he'd cancel the deal?"

"Only way to know is to ask," Mal said. "I'll ask in the morning. I just saw him when I dropped off the order from your dad's shop. Wouldn't do to be seen as a pest."

Harry nodded and then stood up. "Well, no use just sitting around. You guys want to spar?"

"There's only three of us," Mal pointed out. "One of us would have to sit out the first round."

"That's how it always been," Uma argued. "One of us has always sat out."

"Captains first," Harry said, smirking a little as the two girls grabbed their swords. Sneaking the swords away from Hooks' crew had been easy; all they had to do was wait for Smee to be on watch. The timid first mate could never say no, especially when Harry asked.

Harry and Uma had been the most skilled with the sword, having trained together since they were old enough to hold one. Mal liked to joke that Harry was born with a sword in his hand. Which, considering who his father was, probably wasn't that far off from the truth.

Picking up her sword, Mal smirked as she turned to face Uma. "Ready to have your butt kicked, octo-girl?"

"Keep dreaming, dragon breath," Uma teased right back. "How many times have you won a sparring match against me?"

"First time for everything Uma!"

Harry chuckled as the match began, each girl quickly matching and dodging the other's movements. It was clear that they had grown used to both the swords and each other as partners as it almost seemed like a dance. Not that either girl would admit to something as prissy as that.

"Nice move Mal!" Harry called as Mal grabbed Uma's other hand to knock her off balance. He was sure that some of the stuffed shirts over in Boredon would call that cheating. But Harry didn't care and he knew Mal and Uma didn't either. They were villain kids.

The sound of the sword hitting the concrete flooring brought Harry out of his thoughts and he saw Uma pointing a sword at a disarmed Mal.

"Another win for me," Uma smirked as she sheathed her sword.

"You cheated." Mal chuckled, not mad in the slightest.

"Pirate." Uma said with a smirk and a small bow.

Mal chuckled. "Harry, you're up. Who do you want to spar with?"

"Whoever's the least winded. I don't want an easy match today. Papa's going out with Gaston so I want to get all my energy out when he saddles Harriet with me and fish for brains."

"Gil's not too bad," Uma chuckled. "Sure he's a moron but he's working on repairing mama's necklace for me. He told me he found the pieces one day in the 'food' barge and salvaged them."

"Yeah right," Harry scoffed. "He's just trying to get into the crew. Why would Boreadon ever throw out something like that? Especially pieces of Ursula's necklace?"

"Maleficent has her scepter," Mal said softly. "I don't know how she got it but she has it."

In the privacy of the clubhouse, among her friends, was the only time Mal truly felt safe enough to call Maleficent by her name. Mal knew that neither Uma nor Harry would go running back to the dragon and report what Mal had said.

"Guess security is really lax in Boreadon or something," Harry shrugged.

"Well when they have all the villains on an Isle, do they really need it?" Mal asked. "I mean, seems like a waste of time if you ask me."

Harry and Uma nodded before Harry stood up. "Well girls, you've had enough of a break. Who wants to spar me?"

"Who do you want to spar?" Mal asked.

Harry thought for a moment, looking between the two girls. "Uma," he said after a minute and Uma smirked.

"Okay Harry, but don't go crying to Mal when you lose," she teased.

"Oh please," Harry scoffed. "I taught you, remember?"

"Sometimes the student surpasses the teacher," Uma chuckled as she raised her sword once more. Mal chuckled as the two began to spar. Uma and Harry might have been the rulers of trash talk but they could back up what they were saying.

Now, that wasn't to say that they could beat an adult but if they went up against someone like Fred Frollo for example, they could easily trounce him.

Then again, Freddy Boy doesn't have any skills in the art of sword fighting, Mal thought with a chuckle as she sat on the milk crate Uma had vacated. Mal looked around the club house and smiled a little. Sure one might think it was depressing; with its lack of furniture and blankets strewn about for when it got cold.

But it was home. It was certainly more of a home than Maleficent's castle was.

The Underworld might compete with that, a tiny voice rang out in Mal's brain. After all, that's where your father is.

Father. The title didn't quite fit. Even though that's what she had chosen back at the restaurant, Mal wasn't quite happy with it. It felt too stuffy. Like she was trying to fit in around the Boreadon elite.

Well Hades is a God. Don't they do that stuffy stuff on Olympus?

Yeah but I'm not on Olympus. I'm on the Isle.

Are you going to be running around telling people about Hades?

Probably not?

Then what does it matter?

Mal shook her head a little to clear it of her internal debate. She wasn't going to run around, calling Hades by the title in public after all. It shouldn't matter that she felt uncomfortable.

What else could I call him? Mal thought. Harry calls his father 'papa' and Uma calls her mother 'mama' but that seems like more of a pirate thing. I call Maleficent 'mother' but that's only because I know what'll happen if I don't. Hades is the exact opposite of Maleficent so why am I calling him 'father'?

Maleficent always referred to Hades by that title as well whenever she spoke about him. 'Your father', she'd say. 'Your weak, useless father'.

The dragon's wrong, Mal thought with a rush of anger. Hades isn't weak, even trapped under a magic barrier he still has some access to his powers. That's more than Maleficent can claim, with her glowey eyes and a scepter that's basically a fancy walking stick. And he's certainly not useless, not to me. Even if that use is just better food, it's more than Maleficent has ever done.

Mal's eyes glowed bright green for a moment before Mal clenched them shut, stamping down the anger she felt. Maleficent may have been a horrible monster, but she had been Mal's only parent for five years. That had to count for something right?

Oh yes, all the beatings disguised as lessons. All the pinches and prods by the goblins. I think I still have a few bruises shaped like their fingerprints.

Maleficent rules the Isle, she can't afford to be seen as weak. Hades has had five years to try to get you out of there if he really cared.

Dad vs Maleficent, now that's a fight I pay to see.

Mal's head shot up. 'Dad'. She had referred to Hades as 'dad'. Even in her head, it seemed right.

As she had said, Hades was Maleficent's polar opposite at least when it came to parenting. Instead of keeping her from food, Hades ensured Mal got some. She had only been in the Underworld for a few hours but Hades and Steph did their best to make her feel welcomed and safe.

Dad was a good title for him. A lot less stuffy than 'father' was. What had she been thinking?

She couldn't wait til tomorrow, when she could try out the new title and maybe get a new member of the gang as well.


	15. Chapter 15

Mal woke up the next day feeling slightly nervous, though she quickly tamped down that feeling. It wasn't like she could guarantee success; if Hades…if her dad said no to Jay getting a free meal, they wouldn't have any way to tempt Jay into joining the crew.

Scurrying out of her room and quickly leaving Maleficent's castle, Mal made her way to the Underworld. It was early enough to assume that Hades was still there rather than at the restaurant.

I'll try there if dad's not in the Underworld. Gods, it's strange…referring to someone as 'dad' even if it's in my head. I mean strange in a good way though. Like days when the cloud cover isn't as dark.

The only reason she had spent the night in her 'room' at Maleficent's castle was because she didn't want to raise the dragon's suspicions in case she had heard about her confrontation with Evie. The last thing Maleficent would want would be to be made to look bad and her daughter having a confrontation with the child of someone under her control?

Mal held back a shudder at the thought of what kind of 'lesson' Maleficent would teach her for that.

I should have just stayed the night in the clubhouse, Mal thought as she walked the streets of the Isle. Sure we don't have a bed or heat there but it's better than getting almost no sleep because you don't know when the dragon'll strike.

Thankfully, a somewhat tired Mal meant a scowl was presented to the other members of the Isle. Meaning she wasn't stopped by anyone on her way to the Underworld. Shaking her head as she opened the door, Mal couldn't help the small feeling of relief she felt as she stepped inside.

"Hello?" Mal called softly, walking further in.

"Mal?" Persephone called, walking out to greet her. "Hello sweetie."

"Hi Lady Steph," Mal said, using Persephone's proper title. Maleficent still insisted that her lackeys call her 'her excellency' sometimes, Mal didn't know if she'd be required to do the same with Persephone. Better safe than sorry.

"Just 'Steph' is fine, Mal," Persephone said, giving the young girl a sad smile. "Your father's in the den. Just go on in, he'll be happy to see you."

Mal nodded and made her way to the den. Hades, it seemed, was deep in thought as he hadn't even heard Mal come up.

"Fath…dad?" Mal asked softly, correcting herself mid-word as she was prepared to call Hades by the old title. Saying it out loud for the first time, dad was definitely the better choice. No reaction seemed to come from Hades, and Mal assumed that the God hadn't heard her. Summoning all the confidence she could that came from strutting around the Isle like she owned it (one of the few perks of being Maleficent's daughter), Mal walked into the den and plopped on the sofa next to her dad.

"You know, you really need to serve something different at your restaurant," Mal said, her topic choice surprising her but she decided to roll with it.

"Oh really?" Hades asked, looking over at her. If he was surprised to see her, it didn't show on his face. "Well what did you have in mind? There's not much available to us other than fish and I'd rather not feed the people of the Isle stuff sent from the boat. I'm cruel but not that cruel."

"What about chicken?" Mal asked, a seemingly innocent tone to her voice. "Then people wouldn't constantly be comparing yours and Ursula's food. For the record, Uma would like that—apparently, your food's better."

That was a total lie, no one on the Isle would risk irritating the daughter of the God of the Sea but Hades would never know. Besides, there was no harm in stroking the ego of a God; even if that God was one's dad.

"Good idea in theory Mal," Hades said with a smirk. "Just one tiny little problem. How exactly do you propose I get my hands on one of those feathered pests?"

"Oh my crew's on it," Mal said with a smirk of her own. "Or at least we're close to. Harry and Uma found some of Old man Slade's chickens in town yesterday and we tried to catch one. They're too fast though so we're going to bring in Jay."

Hades couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. Granted Jay wasn't an unknown entity but his father was connected to Maleficent.

Maybe I shouldn't worry so much. I'm doing what the Boreadon elite did when they set up this Isle, condemning Jay simply because of who his father is.

I'm not condemning the boy. I just want Mal to be careful. Hook and Ursula may be slightly lower on the Isle totem pole but at least they're not in league with the dragon.

"So if we bring you a chicken, can we get another option for the menu?" Mal asked, unaware of the internal dilemma being raged in Hades' brain.

"Just to make sure I understand, you're actually going to bring another member into your gang just so I make something different at the restaurant?" Hades asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mal sighed. "Dad, if I keep eating fish, I will turn into a fish."

This time, Hades did notice the change in title but chose not to comment on it; the only sign he noticed was a small smile on his face. "Mal, I don't think that it's possible for you to become a fish. Not unless you ask your Uncle Poseidon to do it. As for Jay, I know he's a good thief and could more than likely catch one of those rats with wings. But his dad is in league with your mother. You really want to make one of her minion's son your minion just for the sake of some chicken?"

"Dear, aren't you the one always saying that it doesn't make sense for the Auradon elite to keep the kids locked on the Isle just because of who their parents are?" Persephone asked, walking into the den.

"Yeah dad," Mal nodded. "If it's wrong for Boreadon to do it to the kids, then why should I do it to Jay? Besides, from what little I know about Jay, he may need the gang as much as he'd be useful for us."

Hades looked over at Persephone and sighed. "Alright. But be careful. There may not be many people on the Isle that I trust completely, but at least Hook and Ursula aren't in league with Maleficent. In fact, I may trust Ursula a bit more than I'd trust others on the Isle just because she's a relation. That being said, I still trust her as far as I can throw her."

"Rambling dear," Persephone said, sneakily taking a photo of the two of them sitting on the sofa; Hades having turned his head back toward Mal so he was looking at his daughter instead of at Persephone. Otherwise he'd have seen Persephone take the photo.

"Right," Hades nodded. "The point I was trying to make was that I don't want you getting hurt just because you brought a new player into your gang."

"Don't worry about me dad," Mal said, still surprised at the ease in which she called Hades by the title.

Maybe it helps that he actually acts like a parent—like Milah did with Harry and how Facilier acts with Uma.

"I'm your father, I'm always going to worry about you."

Mal smiled slightly as she got up. Jay wasn't going to come find her after all and she still needed to get Uma and Harry. "By the way, the next time Jay comes by the restaurant, he's going to get the same deal as Uma and Harry since he'll be in the crew."

"Don't count your chickens Mal. Jay could say no."

"We'll see," Mal smirked. "I'm going to go get Harry and Uma, we're going to go make the offer to Jay today. I just wanted to make sure it was confirmed that Jay would have the same offer Harry and Uma got before we asked Jay to join us."

"Of course he does Mal," Hades chuckled. "I still don't want you getting ahead of yourself there. Like I said, Jay could always say no."

Mal just shook her head and smirked a little. "Only an insane person would turn down an offer like this. Jay's a thief, he's not crazy."

With that, Mal made her way out of the Underworld back onto the streets of the Isle. Wasting no time, she scurried to her clubhouse where Harry and Uma were waiting.

"Look, girls, are we sure about this?" Harry asked as Mal walked up, he and Uma sitting on the milk cartons that passed as furniture. "I mean, really, is there anything Jay would bring to the crew that I don't?"

"Jay's a master thief," Mal said as she made her way over to them. "He could get us stuff we need, maybe even get us some good stuff from the barge if we don't feel like eating from Ursula's or Lord Hades' places."

"Master thief? He's six!" Harry growled. "That's like saying I'm a master pirate. Besides, all Jay steals is valuables. Nothing we could actually use for day to day life."

Mal and Uma stared at him for a second.

"Harry, we're going to ask him to steal a chicken," Uma stated. "A chicken is food. How do we not use that in everyday life?"

"Not what I meant," Harry shook his head. "You get a chicken, you kill it, you eat it, it's gone. One use item."

Uma sighed. "True. Besides Mal, I was thinking. Jay could turn down the offer. After all, we're still younger than him. That might matter more than what we're offering."

"Uma, we're offering him food security and a stable place to sleep," Mal stated. "I've been in his dad's shop a few times with Maleficent. Jay's 'bed' is a blanket under the TV shelf in his dad's shop. I think he'd be mad to turn us down just because we're younger than him."

"You know, with his muscle, I bet in a couple of years we could get a bed in here," Uma said with a small grin, slowly getting back on board. "It'd be better than sleeping on the ground here—even if the blankets do help a little."

"Let's at least make him the offer," Mal suggested and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he muttered. "I still don't see why we'd need him though."

Mal shook her head but gave Harry a small smile. "You might like having another boy around more than you think, Harry."

"If you say so cap'n but I doubt it," Harry said as he got up. The bruise on his chin from his attempt to catch the chicken the other day seemed to be darker and Mal couldn't help but wonder if Harry had tried to catch one of the feathered beasts on his own just to prove that they didn't need Jay.

Stubborn idiot, she thought as she rolled her eyes.

"Come on, we have a thief to find," Uma said, getting up herself.

"Shouldn't be too hard. I mean, doesn't he almost never leave his daddy's store?" Harry asked with a slight mocking tone to his voice.

"Says the boy who also hardly leaves his papa's store," Mal shot back, rolling her eyes at him. "Now come on."

"Fine," Harry grumbled as the three of them left the clubhouse and made their way toward Jafar's shop. Mal led the way, being the member of the gang who'd actually been to Jafar's shop before. Plus, as Maleficent's daughter, it would make negotiations go smoother should they need to be done.

"Morning Jay," Mal said, throwing open the door to the shop. "I have a proposition for you."

Did she know exactly what the word meant? Nope. But she had seen it in one of the few books the Isle had and it was the same situation as she was in right now. It seemed like the right time to use it.

"Go on," Jay said, leaning on the counter as Mal, Harry and Uma made their way into the shop. "When the daughter of Maleficent says that, it's bound to be good."

"I believe you may have some skills that would be handy for our crew," Mal said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So what you're saying is you need a thief?" Jay asked, smirking at Harry who was standing behind Mal. "But you already have a pirate."

"Shut it, you run down trinket snatcher!" Harry growled.

"Harry!" Mal snapped in warning. The last thing anyone needed was for this meeting to get back to Maleficent and a fight between the son of one of her minions and the son of Hook would definitely get back to her in someway. Harry glowered but backed down a little.

"What we need, Jay, are your swift hands," Uma chimed in. "We think they might be good at catching one of the chickens that have made their way into town."

"What's in it for me?" Jay asked. "You're telling me there's not one member of your little trio who can catch one of those feathered fiends?"

"So you're saying you wouldn't be interested at free meals at Lord Hades' restaurant?" Mal asked with a smirk. "Not to mention a guaranteed place to sleep that isn't under a shelf?"

Jay paused for a slight second before looking back at Mal. "Go on," he said. "I just need to help you catch a chicken and I get all that?"

"You'll have to help us move a bed into the clubhouse at some point," Mal said. "And you'll have to actually get a chicken for Lord Hades to use at his restaurant. Plus anything we think we might need that you can snatch, it's ours."

"Shouldn't be an issue," Jay said with a small nod. "I can catch one of those feathered feasts with my eyes closed."

He hopped over the counter so he was standing in front of them. It helped that the part of the counter Jay had been standing in front of was significantly lower than the rest of the counter.

"Just know that your list can't interfere with my dad's quota," Jay told Mal, who nodded. Jafar wasn't the most subtle and would often tell Jay his quota to fill for the day when they were at Maleficent's so Mal was quite familiar with it.

"Do we have a deal?" Mal asked softly.

"We've got a deal," Jay said with a nod before smirking. "Oh cheer up Hook. One might think you weren't happy to have another guy around."

Harry rolled his eyes, glowering a little but not reacting under the watchful eye of Uma.

"Oh, and to be in the crew, you'd better be prepared to learn how to sword fight if you don't already," Mal added.

"I know a bit," Jay said with a nod. "But I'm not pirate level."

"Well, well, well. Something we can teach you," Harry said with a small smirk.

"Bring it Hook," Jay told him, a smirk on his face.

"Oh, see? You two are already getting along," Mal said with a smirk of her own. "Now, think you can actually get one of those feathered pests?"

"With my eyes closed," Jay told her. "Dad's trained me to sneak since I could walk after all."

"I'll believe it when I can see it," Harry grumbled.

Jay smirked. "Come on then. You'll get your own show," he said as he walked out of the shop toward the town square. Harry rolled his eyes but followed Jay, the girls trailing them.

"Now, first thing I need to know is where the thing I'm supposed to be grabbing usually is," Jay said.

"They're normally by Old man Slade's place but obviously they've escaped from there," Mal told him. "Also, they're stupid chickens so who knows where they'd get to."

"So it's a waiting game to see if we can find one?" Jay asked. As Mal nodded, Jay gave a small sigh, almost inaudible to anyone not listening closely. That made it a lot harder. His mom had taught him that having a mark made stealing anything a lot easier than leaving it to chance.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long as they came across three chickens in an alley close to Hades' restaurant.

"Watch and learn," Jay said with a small smirk. This was perfect, since there was nowhere for the chicken to run, all Jay would have to do is back them up against a wall and grab one. There was more than one of them too, which only tripled his chances of grabbing one. As he crept into the alley, Jay shook his head slightly. He couldn't have planned this better if he'd tried.

Glancing at the chickens, who still hadn't noticed they weren't alone, Jay sized them up; trying to see which one of them was the biggest. If the chicken was going to go to Lord Hades, it had better be plenty plump.

That one, in the middle, Jay thought. The one that's…is he trying to eat a rock?

"Come here you," Jay said as his hand shot out, grabbing the now squawking chicken by the neck and picking it up. "No one wants rocks with their meat!"

"See? What'd I'd tell you?" Jay asked, still holding onto the chicken by the neck as he turned to face the others. "Now does Lord Hades want this thing alive or does anyone have a dagger?"

"I'll deliver it," Mal said, walking up to Jay. "Besides, Lord Hades has knives in the kitchen of his restaurant he can used to turn the bird into food. It's not too far from here actually. By Lade Tremaine's hair salon."

Taking the chicken from Jay, Mal added, "stop by whenever you want Jay. Just tell him you're with me and you should get your meal without any problems."

Jay nodded and turned to look at Harry. "Believe me now Hook?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking a little.

"I told you I'd believe it when I saw it," Harry sighed. "Well I saw it so I have to believe it."

Jay nodded, the smirk still on his face as Mal walked off. A question had been in the back of Jay's mind but he hadn't wanted to ask it while Mal was still there. After all, she was Maleficent's daughter. The last thing Jay wanted to do was make things tense with her mom and his dad.

"Hey, what's Mal's deal with Lord Hades?" Jay asked, finally satisfied that Mal was out of earshot. "I'd wager he doesn't just give out free food to anyone yet Mal thinks we can just walk in no problem?"

Uma and Harry looked at each other and shrugged. "Dunno," Uma said. "But it's the truth. We just tell him that we're with Mal and he gives us our food, no problem."

"All she tells us if we do question it since she's Lord Hades' errand rat is it's part of her agreement with him," Harry added with a shrug. "We don't question it often since who questions easy food?"

"But most people aren't in the business of giving free food to their errand rats, let alone their errand rat's crew," Uma pointed out.

Jay shrugged. It was kinda weird but like Harry said, if it got him free meals by being in Mal's gang, he wasn't going to complain.

"Oh, keep the fact that you know Mal's Uncle Hades errand rat to yourself," Uma said. "If Mal…if her mother found out, she might not be too happy."

"I mean, the daughter of Maleficent as a lowly errand rat?" Harry added, shaking his head.

"Hey, there are a lot worse things if it gets you food around here," Jay pointed out. He hadn't missed Uma nearly calling Maleficent by her name but he wasn't going to comment. No use in rocking the boat this early.

"We know that," Uma said. "But what Harry's saying is that there's no way her excellency would let Mal be an errand rat."

"She might not know," Jay pointed out.

"And she's not going to, right?" Harry asked, a slight growl to his voice. He knew what the dragon was capable of, having mopped up Mal a couple of times after a 'lesson' from Maleficent. The last thing he wanted was for Mal to get hurt because they had trusted the wrong person.

"What would her excellency know? Nothing that I know, that's for sure," Jay said with a small smirk.

"Good answer."

Jay looked around, more than a little willingly to change the subject. "So, are we just going to hang around this alley until Mal gets back?"

"We could start heading over to the restaurant?" Uma suggested. "That way we can get the best table and the best portions when the chicken's done."

"Uma, no one ever eats at Lord Hades' restaurant. We'd have our pick of tables," Harry reminded her.

"So? We'll still be able to pick the best table."

Harry shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Harriet's on fish duty anyway so Papa won't notice if I'm gone."

"I never turn down food," Jay said with a nod, joining them as they start to move out toward the restaurant. He couldn't help but smile a little. He had been pretty much a loner since no one wanted to hang out with him. The perils of being a thief and having a dad who ran a pawn shop. No one wanted to risk their stuff, what little they had, winding up on Jafar's shelves.

It was nice, being in a group that wanted his thieving ability.

The three of them made their way to the restaurant, where Mal already had a table claimed.

"He said it should be about fifteen minutes," Mal told them as they sat down. "He does need to kill and cut up the thing, but that was about maybe ten minutes ago."

"We can wait," Jay said with a nod.

Mal grinned and looked over at the former lone boy of her crew. "So Harry, finally on board with Jay in the crew?"

"I still don't see why we need him but if he's useful in getting food, I won't protest," Harry said with a slight glower.

Mal rolled her eyes. "There's safety in numbers Harry. Every kid knows that. Besides, he got us that chicken. Would you rather have Freddy boy's gang have that? Thanks to Jay, we eat. They don't."

Harry nodded with a small smirk. "That is certainly something I can get behind."

"Welcome to the Rotten Four, Jay," Mal said with a smirk as their food came out. It was faster than they had expected but then again, Hades was a God. Who were they to question him? Jay didn't respond but dug in to the dish in front of him. The others didn't care, as they did the same thing.

"Gods, if Jay keeps catching chickens like this, we'll have to rename ourselves the fat four," Uma said as she finished her meal. "How is it Uncle Hades was only doing fish before yet his chicken tastes so good?"

Mal nodded, her dad was a surprisingly good cook. You wouldn't think a God would be but Hades proved that wasn't the case.

"So other than catching chickens, what do you guys do for fun?" Jay asked, not used to being part of a gang.

"Sword fight and play pranks on anyone who's not one of the four of us," Uma told him.

"Yeah, come by the clubhouse tomorrow," Mal said. "Harry'll get you started on sword fighting. We'll all be able to practice at the same time now since we've got an even number."

"Mal, don't think I'll go easy on you," Uma said with a small smirk as Harry shot a smirk of his own toward Jay.

"Bring it on, octo-girl!"

"Oh, you're going to regret that, dragon breath," Uma taunted with a small chuckle.

"So what time tomorrow?" Jay asked, cutting into the banter. "I don't think dad's got me watching the store so I should be free."

Mal, Harry and Uma looked at each other. "Noon?" Mal suggested.

"That works," Jay nodded.

"How about one of us swing by one of our food stops and pick up lunch, we can eat in the clubhouse after sword practice?" Mal said.

"I can stop by mama's restaurant if no one has an issue with fish," Uma said.

"I'll eat anything," Jay shrugged with a small smile.

"Oh, we're going to get along just fine," Uma told him, smirking a little.

"Fish is fine, Uma," Mal said while Harry nodded.

Uma nodded. "I'll bring the food to the clubhouse then. We can do the sword fighting after we eat since mama's stuff is better warm anyway."

Harry grinned. "You know, I bet in a couple of years when we're a bit older, we could manage getting a sofa or a bed in there.

"You plan on keeping me around that long, Hook?" Jay teased.

"You plan on staying around that long?" Harry shot back as Mal and Uma rolled their eyes. Harry would clearly need some time to adjust to the new dynamic of the gang.

"A sofa or bed would be nice," Uma agreed. "But right now, it'd just take up room. Room we'd need for sword fighting. We want to be the best after all."

"We will be the best," Mal corrected with a slight smirk. "We'll be so powerful that no one will mess with us. We'll be rotten. To the core."

Uma and Harry nodded with a smirk on their faces.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Jay said with a shrug.

"So…anyone want to go make smoke bombs and throw 'em at Evil Queen's daughter?" Mal asked, keeping her voice low in case one of the Evil Queen's allies came in. Hey, Queenie may have been allies with Maleficent but that didn't mean she didn't want to make her own play for ruler of the Isle.

Maleficent was awful but the last thing Mal wanted was for Evie to have her spot. Blueberry would be insufferable if that happened!

"I'm in," Uma told her, a wicked grin on her face. "Boys?"

"I'm in," Harry told her.

"Me too!" Jay said with a smirk and Mal grinned.

"Let's go," she said. "We'll have to stop by Lady Tremaine's and grab the stuff to make 'em. It shouldn't take too long though. Uma and I have the recipe down pat now."

They ran off, the four of them ready to make their own mischief.


	16. Chapter 16

Mal had to give Evie credit. When she made a threat, she stuck with it.

With all the excitement of bringing Jay into the fold and teaching him how to sword fight, something Harry was all too eager to do though that may have been due to the fact that Jay was a beginner and not because Harry just wanted to teach, Mal had forgotten about her little head to head with Blueberry. The days passed by and all too soon, the princess's birthday had arrived.

It seemed like everyone on the Isle had been invited to the six year old's party. Everyone but Mal, that is.

_That's okay. I didn't want to go to Blueberry's dumb party anyway,_ Mal thought as she stared out from the balcony of Maleficent's castle, one of the few mornings she opted to stay around the dragon. Using a discarded telescope that had made its way from Boreadon, Mal could see that the guests were getting _animals_ as party favors. Cats and eels and all sorts of creatures would find their way to new homes.

Mal rolled her eyes and put the telescope down. Jay, Uma and Harry had all gotten invitations too. Harry had to go because his dad was attending but Jay and Uma had offered to skip it once they realized that Mal hadn't gotten an invite.

She had told them not to, that there was no reason for them to be miserable just because she hadn't gotten an invite.

That being said, that same day Mal and Uma had unleashed hell on Blueberry with their stash of smoke bombs. Her skin matched her hair, that's how many blue smoke bombs they ended up pelting her with. Then again, her hair had several spots of purple hue based solely on the fact that they had to dip into their stash of purple smoke bombs. The princess had run off before they were able to use any of the red ones but the Isle was only so big.

There was definitely a chance they'd run into her again. Oh, Mal almost counted on it.

_You're not going to get away with insulting me like that. It was bad enough when I thought I was the only one out of my crew not to get an invite but to be the only one out of the_ ** _Isle_** _? Oh Blueberry, you should watch your back,_ Mal thought with a small nod of her head. Still, she wasn't going to lie. It stung watching everyone else have fun at the party. Even if she was just there with Uma, Harry and Jay, it'd be better than being at Maleficent's by herself.

Hearing movement in the other room, Mal quickly left the balcony. She knew what Maleficent would say if she saw her moping over not getting an invitation to Evie's party. Parties are for the rabble.

_Yeah you say that now, Maleficent but who was it who cursed a baby because they didn't get invited to a party?_ Mal scoffed as she made her way to the front door of Maleficent's castle. Thankfully, the dragon had been tormenting the goblins all morning so she hadn't paid any attention to Mal. The last thing Mal wanted was to try to come up with a passable lie as to why she wasn't at Evie's party.

She wasn't feeling well? Maleficent would call her weak and order her to go.

Tell the truth and say Evie didn't invite her? If Evie was lucky, Maleficent would just accuse Mal of lying and tell her to go anyway. If Blueberry wasn't lucky….well it was hard to say what the dragon would do.

Say she _got_ an invite but didn't feel like going? Mal would definitely end up getting one of Maleficent's 'lessons' on not making a fool out of her in front of the others of the Isle.

There wasn't anything good that would come out of Maleficent finding out. Thankfully, Mal knew she had another place she could go where she wouldn't have to stare at Blueberry's party.

In another life, one where she was raised in Boreadon, Mal probably would have run down the street toward her dad's place. But this was still the Isle. Running was only acceptable if you were being chased or if someone had just been stabbed. An occurrence that was more common than one might think.

Obviously Mal wasn't being chased and, unless someone had been stabbed and she just didn't know, she couldn't use that excuse. So Mal walked; the empty streets being a godsend in that she wasn't delayed in getting where she wanted to go.

"Hello?" Mal called softly. There was no response but that didn't mean anything. Mal had been over enough by now to know that her dad was probably just deeper in the Underworld and Lady Steph was probably waging war with the dishes that had piled up again.

Chuckling a little at the mental image of a Goddess waging war against a sink full of dishes, Mal walked deeper into the Underworld. The silence was a bit unnerving; usually either her dad or Steph would have come out to say hello by now.

"Hello?" Mal called again as she walked into the den. The only thing she managed to do was startle Virgil, who'd been sitting on the sofa. Mal rolled her eyes.

"You didn't hear the door?" She asked him.

"H-headphones," Virgil said softly. "E-even without music, it dampens m-most noise."

Mal shook her head but couldn't help a small smile. The jury was still out whether or not Virgil was her cousin, so he wasn't in the loop in terms of Mal's relation to Hades, but Mal didn't really care all that much. The timid eight year old never treated her like she was an outsider barging into _his_ turf.

"W-what brings you here, M-Mal?" Virgil asked, taking his headphones off while they talked. Mal shrugged.

"Blueberry's having a birthday party," she said before looking at Virgil. "Why aren't _you_ there?"

Virgil chuckled. "N-no invite," he told her and Mal felt a small rush of anger toward the wannabe princess. It was one thing to insult her but Virgil was another thing. Even if he didn't know or care about Evie, it would still bother the older boy.

_Then again, Virgil's not a prince or even the son of a high end villain. He's the son of a minion—and everyone knows those kids are on the lower end of the Isle's totem pole._

"W-why aren't you there?" Virgil asked softly but seemed to grow silent when Mal looked over at him. "N-never mind."

Mal shrugged again before sighing. She could tell Virgil—he was the one kid on the Isle who wouldn't blab to anyone. Mainly because he'd spend a week overthinking whether or not it was a good idea before he did so but regardless.

"You and I could form a club," Mal told him, sitting down on the sofa. "The only two kids _not_ to be invited to Blueberry's birthday."

Virgil gave her a small smile. "Maybe your invite just g-got lost in the mail, Mal. I-I'm sure—"

"Virg, Maleficent and the Evil Queen have had a rivalry since the Isle was _founded_ ," Mal scoffed. "I'm _sure_ the princess thinks I'm in her rightful spot or something, the daughter of the ruler of the Isle."

Sighing, Mal looked at the other boy. "Not to sound like Maleficent or anything but the little Bluette invited _everyone_ else. _Everyone_ , Virgil! Jay, Harry and Uma all got invites too. I mean, not that I wanted to go but still…"

Virgil frowned a little but didn't comment, choosing to let Mal rant. It was rare that Mal actually let loose like this and it was probably only because there was no one else in the room.

"And they're getting _pets_! Can you believe it?" Mal asked, breaking Virgil out of his thoughts.

"W-What?"

Mal nodded. "Yeah. Pets. Now _every_ kid's going to know I wasn't there since I won't have one either. All that'll do is increase the chance of _Maleficent_ finding out there had been a party I wasn't invited to."

_Blueberry had better hope I can hide the 'lesson' Maleficent will teach me for letting the Evil Queen embarrass her like this,_ Mal thought with a small frown.

"I just…who does Blueberry think she is?" Mal sighed.

"I'm guessing someone who's going to quickly learn not to mess with you?" Virgil asked softly.

Mal nodded. "Oh, the next time I see that little blueberry, she'll be so covered in smoke bomb smoke she'll be _blind_ ," she growled, not noticing in her anger that Virgil hadn't stuttered. "I'll get Uma involved too! Blueberry won't know what _hit_ her!"

The pelting Evie would get would make the one she got when Jay, Uma and Harry all got their invites look _tame_.

_Hope Blueberry enjoys red hair for a while because she'll be hit with so many of Harry's smoke bombs that she'll have to!_

Mal shook her head slightly, not wanting to get too angry. She might take it out on Virgil which she didn't want. Virgil was letting her rant to him, he didn't ask to have her bite his head off. Besides, she didn't want to risk admitting how much being left out had actually _hurt_.

Virgil got up from the sofa, catching Mal's attention. "W-Wait right there Mal," he told her, the stutter returning but not as bad as it had usually been, before he quickly raced over to his room.

Hades wasn't _horrible_ after all, his minions deserved a place to crash if they got overworked and errand rats fell under the 'minions' category. Not to mention Virgil was eight. There were some days where it was just too dark at the end of a day for him to head back to Vanessa if Panic worked past sunset.

Walking back into the den, Virgil held up a can of what looked like liquid but the solid nature of the can made it hard to tell. "Let's have our own party," he said.

"What's that?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I f-found it when I was scoping out the barge," Virgil said, setting the can down on the table in front of them. "The c-can caught my eye—the bright red seemed out of place. I think it m-might be a Boreadon drink."

Mal paused and looked over at the older boy. " _You'd_ trust something from _Boreadon_?"

"If you don't trust it, I'll take the first sip," Virgil told her, shrugging a little.

Mal shook her head. "No, no. I just mean…what's the catch?"

"No catch Mal," Virgil told her. "Just something that I thought might brighten the day. You deserve to have a party too," he said, holding the can out for her to take. "It's something Blueberry doesn't get to have. Besides, you might like it and if you don't, just spit it out."

Mal nodded and took the can, still a little unsure but trusting her gut. Virgil wouldn't give her something dangerous on purpose. Opening the can, Mal took a small sip of the liquid inside. Her eyes widened as the liquid touched her tongue. "It's sweet," she said after she swallowed. "It's like a sweet version of the bottled water Lord Hades has at his restaurant."

"Is sweet good?" Virgil asked.

"It's very good," Mal said with a grin, taking another small sip.

Virgil returned the grin and his shoulders sank in relief. "Oh good," he said.

"Hang on, I'll get you a cup," Mal said, setting the can down. "If this is supposed to be our party, I shouldn't be hogging the drink."

"Okay," Virgil said softly as Mal walked into the kitchen. To her surprise, Hades and Persephone were in there and they seemed to be deep in conversation though it stopped once Mal walked in.

"Mal, honey," Persephone said, her tone hesitant as if she didn't want to have the conversation. "Can I have a word with you?"

"Um…sure Lady Steph," Mal said, walking up to her. She wasn't really in the mood to talk but this was _Steph._ "What's up?"

Persephone let out a small sigh before looking at the young purple haired girl. "Sweetie, there's no easy way to say this but..I have to leave—"

Mal froze, unsure of what Persephone meant by that. "Like to go to the docks?" She asked, hoping that's what Steph meant.

"No honey," Persephone said with a small sad smile. "I have to go back to Auradon."

"What?!" Mal exclaimed. _Way to make a horrid day_ ** _worse_** , she thought with a small frown.

"Mal—"

"I can't do this," Mal muttered, shaking her head. _First Blueberry's party and now this! I have to get out of here!_

Rushing out of the kitchen and past Virgil who was still in the den, Mal set her sights for the clubhouse. The _one_ place that wouldn't ruin her day. Granted that'd be because no one would be in there but that didn't matter!

Shaking her head, Mal shoved down the frustration she was feeling. She would never admit it out loud but amidst the frustration, she felt a tiny bit of sadness too. Of _course_ Steph was leaving! Why wouldn't she? She had the chance to go to _Boreadon_ after all! What was _Mal_ compared to that?

Reaching the clubhouse, Mal threw a rock to open the gate. No one need ever know it took more than one try due to the tears welling in Mal's eyes. Racing up the stairs, Mal burst into the clubhouse shaking. Wrapping her arms around herself to try to stop the tears that were threatening to fall, Mal sat down on one of the milk crates.

She should have known it was too good to last. But did it have to happen the same day as Blueberry's party? Couldn't the Fates have given her only _one_ blow today?

"Mal….oh honey. Sweetheart, let me explain."

"Steph?!" Mal exclaimed, looking up upon hearing her step mother's voice. "How'd you get up here?"

Persephone didn't answer but gave Mal a sad smile as she knelt down, wrapping her arms around the young girl. She had followed Mal as soon as the young girl rushed out of the kitchen and had seen Mal throw the rock to open the gate. But even if she hadn't seen her, Persephone did have eyes. She would have seen the small pile of rocks by the 'falling rocks' sign and may have put two and two together.

_They should have furniture in here, if this is going to be Mal's hide out,_ Persephone thought as she glanced around the room. _At the very least chairs instead of milk crates._

"Mal honey, it's not forever," Persephone told her, breaking herself out of her thoughts. "It's just for six months and then I'll be back."

"Why?" Mal whispered. "W-what did I do?"

She didn't mean to voice her insecurities but there was only so much a girl could take in a day before it became too much.

"Oh Mal," Persephone said with a small, sad smile as she brushed a bit of hair out of Mal's eyes. "You didn't do anything. This has been the arrangement since the Isle was created. It's the deal Zeus made with King Beast and my mother."

"Stupid deal," Mal muttered. "Why can't you just stay here all the time? What can King Beastie even _do_ if you refuse to leave? You're a _Goddess_ after all."

Persephone sighed. "It's the way the deal is set up Mal. Besides, we got lucky in its set up. The deal could be worse. I _could_ not be allowed to see you two at all."

"No!" Mal exclaimed before she could stop herself, her eyes widening and shaking her head a little.

"I know sweetie," Persephone said softly. "Six months isn't much but it's better than nothing right?"

"But…" Mal said softly. She hated feeling like this but she couldn't help it.

"I know sweetheart but I'll be back. I always am. Plus I'll call on the portal _every_ day I'm gone."

Mal gave Steph a weak smile. It was a _little_ reassuring to know that Steph would be in contact even if she wasn't there in person.

"Mal I promise, six months will be over before you know it."

"And…you will come back right? Promise?" Mal asked softly, looking up at her.

"I promise sweetheart," Persephone said with a small nod. "I'm just sorry I'll be missing your birthday."

Mal shrugged. "My birthday doesn't really matter."

"It does to us Mal," Persephone said with a slight frown. She hadn't expected Maleficent to make a huge deal about Mal's birthday but from the sounds of things, the Fae seemed to just ignore it entirely.

Mal just shrugged again and Persephone vowed that if she ever came face to face with Maleficent, the Fae wouldn't know what hit her.

"We'll do something special for your birthday when I get back. Okay Mal?"

"If you insist," Mal muttered but couldn't help but smile a little at the idea of someone other than Uma and Harry celebrating her birthday.

Persephone nodded. "Now, how about we head back? I'm sure your father is wondering whee we ran off to."

"Okay," Mal said softly.

The two of them got up and started making their way back to the Underworld. Persephone couldn't help but give Mal a small smile.

_I may be leaving the Isle Mal but I'm not leaving you,_ she thought. _I would never leave you and I never will._

Persephone wanted to grab Mal's hand, to let her know that she would always be there. Normally though they wouldn't risk it, as Maleficent's spies would be everywhere.

However, today the streets were empty. Everyone was likely either at Evil Queen's party for her daughter or at Maleficent's likely getting yelled at for their latest incompetence. Gently taking Mal's hand, Persephone couldn't help but smile a little when Mal didn't pull her hand away. The two quickly made their way back to the Underworld where Hades had taken Virgil's place in the den.

Looking up as his two girls walked in, Hades glanced at Persephone as if silently asking a question.

"I told her," Persephone said softly as Mal gave Hades a small, sad smile that Hades returned.

"Hey Mali? You want to have a spray paint lesson?" Hades asked, thinking that might cheer the younger girl up. He didn't even notice he had referred to her by the nickname he'd given her as a baby.

"Really?" Mal asked as she perked up a little at the offer. She had found near empty cans of the stuff on the boats that came from Auradon but there wasn't anything that really made an impact. Besides, the little squirts she did get out of them were just ignored by Fred Frollo's gang as they marched into _her_ territory.

There was no way to secure full cans of spray paint but it _might_ be something they were able to make.

"Yeah," Hades said, nodding his head a little as he smiled.

"Okay!"

Hades and Persephone couldn't help but chuckle a little at Mal's reaction.

"Come on," Hades told her, walking out of the den as Mal trotted after him; a small smile on her face. Persephone shook her head in amusement. While she wasn't _entirely_ thrilled about the idea of Mal being so close to those chemicals, it would be okay as long as Hades was there with her.

_Well, time to prepare for another six months in Auradon,_ Persephone sighed. There really wasn't much to do to prepare as her 'Auradon' clothes were in her closet in her apartment off the Isle. All the preparation was really mental in getting used to not having Hades and now Mal around.

_Though now I can look into getting a certain four legged present for Mal,_ Persephone thought as she left the den. She and Hades had heard bits and pieces of Mal's rant to Virgil while they were in the kitchen; after the life Mal had so far it was safe to say she deserved to be spoiled as much as they could do so on the Isle.

Mal was her daughter. Persephone _may_ have to miss Mal's birthday because of the agreement but that didn't mean she wouldn't make it up to Mal when they saw each other again.


	17. Chapter 17

The months flew by and before Mal knew it, it was June and the day of her sixth birthday arrived. She didn't really expect much; Maleficent never really acknowledged it. The only reason Mal knew it was her birthday was because she had asked Maleficent when she was three.

Uma had asked about her birthday and Mal, being a reasonably innocent three year old, thought there had been no harm in asking the dragon the same question. Thankfully Maleficent had been in a reasonably good mood, having gotten the chance to torment the goblins, and so all Mal got was a terse response giving her the date.

After Mal found out, though, Uma and Harry had made it their mission to make sure _they_ at least celebrated Mal's birthday the best they could. Whether it was by trying to grab the freshest thing from the delivery barge they could or by snatching something from another Isle resident, they always made sure Mal had something on her birthday.

Today, however, Mal woke up feeling a little excited for once. It was her first birthday where she had a parent who _might_ do more than simply tell her the day she was born.

_I mean, dad won't be able to do much since we're trapped on an Isle and Steph's stuck in Boredon but at least it'll be better than what the dragon provides,_ Mal thought as she got dressed and quickly scurried out of her 'room' at Maleficent's. The last thing she wanted was for Maleficent to try to teach Mal a 'lesson' on her birthday.

_Thank the Gods the dragon still hasn't realized I was the only kid on the Isle not invited to Blueberry's birthday,_ Mal thought as she made her way to the clubhouse as per tradition. Opening the gate, Mal couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before her.

Clearly her cousin and friend had stayed up _way_ too late preparing a makeshift party for her as they were slumped over on the milk crates. A spray painted banner hung above them, reading 'Happy Birthday Mal" in dark purple.

Shaking her head, Mal quietly walked over to Uma and shook her shoulder. "Uma?"

"Not now Mal," Uma muttered, sleep clearly still occupying her brain. "I need to get the clubhouse ready for Mal's party."

"Oh?" Mal asked, amusement evident in her voice. "Well what's left to do?"

"We need… _Mal_?!"

"Good morning sleepyhead," Mal chuckled as Uma stared at her in shock, waking up from her slumber. "How late were you two here last night?"

"I don't know," Uma said with a yawn and a stretch as she sat up. "Harry, Jay and I spent hours arguing over what color the banner should be. Then Jay had to go and finish his quota for his dad and Harry and I finished the decorations."

Mal gave her friend a small smile. "It's nice to know that Harry's accepted Jay in the group."

"I think it's because Jay's taller than us," Uma chuckled. "He had an easier time hanging the banner. We almost used Harry's hook to secure to the wall before Jay swiped some sticky stuff from one of the shops. I didn't ask what it was and I don't _want_ to know what it is."

"Hey Mal," Harry said with a groan as he woke up, not even questioning the other girl's arrival. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks Harry," Mal said with a small smile. "Won't your dad be missing you at the counter though?"

Harry shook his head. "Captain papa won't notice I'm gone. Well he might but he won't do anything. Not if I tell him I'm making sure you have a great birthday. He's terrified of what the dragon might do, especially since I told him you never got an invite to Blueberry's party."

"Maleficent might _murder_ him if she ever found out Hook was there when her own daughter wasn't," Uma said with a small smirk. She wasn't a fan of how Hook treated her first mate though she knew Harry still had a soft spot in his heart for the man. He was, after all, his only remaining parent.

Mal sighed. Ever since Harry had turned six back in late April, about a couple of weeks after Blueberry's birthday, he had taken to calling his dad 'Captain Papa'. I mean, it made sense in a way considering Harriet called Hook 'Captain' while CJ still called Hook 'papa'. It just felt odd hearing it come from Harry.

"Jay should be here soon," Harry said, breaking Mal out of her thoughts. "He's picking up the presents we got for you."

"You guys didn't have to—"

"Yes we did Mal," Uma said firmly. "It's your birthday. We had to get you _something_ since we all know the dragon won't acknowledge it."

Mal sighed but didn't fight back. Even Jay had grown to see how much Maleficent's show of 'motherly affection' toward Mal was an act now that he was in the crew. That being said, Mal still wanted to be careful about how much Jay knew. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but it was just that with Jafar in Maleficent's gang, the risk was higher.

The sound of the gate opening prevented any further conversation and the three of them rushed downstairs only to see Jay pushing what looked like a…bed?

"Jay, I know you like stealing but did you steal someone's _bed_ from them?" Uma asked in shock.

"No," Jay chuckled. "This was by the barge. I checked it out—it's in decent shape. No mold on the mattress or anything. I know we like to sleep in the clubhouse on the odd days our parents lock us out but wouldn't it make more sense for there to be an _actual_ bed for us to use?"

"I dunno Jay," Mal frowned and glanced up the stairwell, with all its twists and turns. "How are we going to get it up there?"

Harry perked up. "Give me five minutes," he said and rushed off.

"What in the world got into him?" Mal asked and Uma shrugged before turning to Jay.

"Did you get the stuff we _actually_ sent you for?" She asked and Jay smirked.

"Oh Uma, do you actually doubt me?"

"Considering we sent you out for one thing and you came back with a _bed_?"

"Good point," Jay chuckled and patted a satchel that was hanging off the headboard of the bed. "But I got the stuff. Don't worry."

Mal chuckled and shook her head in amusement. "Any chance I'll find out what the stuff is?"

"When Harry gets back," Uma told her. "Though depending on where he's gone, that could be hours from now."

To their surprise, the son of Hook only took a little over ten minutes before he arrived again; this time accompanied by his older sister and a petite blonde girl with a blue and white stripped shirt.

"Harry said you guys needed some help?" Harriet asked, brushing a bit of her brown hair out of her face.

"Jay found a bed and we want to put it in our clubhouse," Mal said. "But there's no way we'd be able to get it up those stairs on our own."

Harriet smirked before turning to her little brother. "So you came to me, your smarter and stronger older sister?"

"No, I came to you because you're bigger," Harry said. "Plus Captain papa won't notice you're gone for at least an hour since he's with Gaston."

Harriet chuckled. "Good point. Okay, so Jay and Harry, grab the end of the bed there. Mal, you and Uma take each side while Sammy and I take the head. Someone needs to be able to tell the boys when a corner's coming."

"I'll do it," Mal said, taking the left side.

"No need," Harry scoffed. "I know the stairwell by heart."

"So do I, Harry. But you've never walked it backwards before," Mal shot back as they picked up the bed. They quickly got started as, even though they had two eight year olds with them, it was still a pretty heavy bed and they didn't want to carry it longer than they had to.

"Does anyone need a break?" Harriet called as they stopped on the first landing.

"Bah," Harry scoffed. "Breaks are for wimps and the insipid mermaids of Neverland."

"You do know the Captain's not here right? He's not going to know if you don't spew his catchphrases," Harriet told him. "Sammy won't say anything anyway, right Sammy?"

Sammy nodded and Harriet turned back to her brother. "So as I was saying, anyone need a break?"

"We took one while you and Harry were arguing," Uma said, shaking the slight pain out of her arms. She didn't know where Jay had found the bed but it seemed lighter than a bed should be.

Mal had the same thought too. _Could this be Steph's doing?_ Mal thought. _After all, Steph saw the clubhouse before she left for Boreadon and how it was lacking in furniture. How easy could it have been for her to make it so that there was a bed light enough for us to move? She is a_ ** _Goddess_** _after all, with access to options we could only dream of._

Reaching the top of the stairwell, the six of them quickly positioned the bed against one of the walls in the clubhouse.

"Wow," Uma said softly. "We have a _bed_."

"We do," Mal grinned. "Jay, I know you didn't mean to find the bed, but well done!"

Jay smirked. "My pleasure!"

Harriet and Sammy chuckled. "Well, we'll get out of your hair," Harriet said. "You four need us for anything else, just let me know."

The two older girls turned to walk out before Harriet paused. "Oh Mal? Happy Birthday."

"Thanks Harriet," Mal said with a small smile and the older girl left the clubhouse. There was a brief bit of silence before Harry turned to Jay.

"You got them?"

"Oh! Right," Jay nodded. "They're in my bag. On the headboard right there."

Mal frowned. "Got what?"

"Your presents silly," Uma said with a smile. "Can't have a birthday without presents!"

Mal shook her head. "Guys, really. You didn't have to—"

"Did you hear something Jay?" Harry asked as he got Jay's bag off the headboard.

"Nope," Jay shook his head. "Only Mal saying 'thank you for my presents guys'."

Mal chuckled. "Well if you're going to insist…where's my loot?"

"That's more like it," Harry smirked as he tossed Jay's bag to him. Jay caught it and took out two oddly wrapped parcels. It was clear that her friends had used whatever paper they could get their hands on to wrap them. Mal didn't care though.

"Here Mal," Jay said, handing her one of the parcels. Mal raised an eyebrow as she felt it.

"A book?"

"Just open it," Jay chuckled and Mal carefully unwrapped the parcel—the paper might prove necessary later and it was still in reasonably good shape. To Mal's surprise, a hard purple book awaited her.

"I found it in the delivery barge," Uma said. "Whatever prince or princess in Boreadon who had it clearly didn't believe in waste not want not—there's about half the pages still remaining. You've been planning out our tags but there's only so much you can do with the water rings left from Uncle Hades' restaurant."

Mal nodded, grinning a little as she opened it. It was a lined notebook and it was clear that whoever threw it out hadn't cared much for keeping the pages intact; bits of the remaining paper still clung to the spine.

_At least it's not pink_ , Mal thought as she set the book to the side. _And I can easily find some charcoal or something at dad's place to use to sketch out the tags. Plus, since it's purple, people will know by sight that it's mine._

"Well, it doesn't make any sense to say it since there's only two presents but open this one next Mal," Harry said, handing her the other parcel. Mal chuckled and quickly unwrapped it. To her surprise, a tri-cornered hat like the one Uma had started to wear stared back at her.

"We know normally a crew has one captain," Harry said.

"But we figured in this case we'd make an exception," Jay added with a small smirk.

"We wouldn't be a crew if it wasn't for you Mal," Uma stated. "You're my best friend, if I'm sharing power with anyone, it's you."

Mal stared at her friends in shock. She definitely hadn't been expecting that.

"Guys…"

"Besides, you can't expect Maleficent's daughter to be subservient in her own crew?" Jay joked and Mal rolled her eyes. It was corny but it helped ease the feelings that were choking up in the back of her throat.

"How did you get it purple?" Mal asked, holding it up to look at it closer.

"Lady Tremaine's shop," Uma said. "The boys were a bunch of guppies walking in there but Anastasia said if we didn't make a mess, she wouldn't say anything about us being there."

Mal nodded. The elder Tremaine sister never really kicked up a fuss about the kids coming into Curl Up and Dye the way her mother or younger sister would. "She hasn't been in for a while. Is she feeling okay?"

"Probably just tired from taking care of her brat," Harry stated. "Anthony would lower anyone's energy level."

"Don't you mean 'Lord Tremaine'?" Jay scoffed as they all chuckled.

"I swear, that boy's worse than Blueberry sometimes," Mal said, rolling her eyes as she put the hat on.

"It suits you cap'n," Harry said with a small smirk.

"That's _co_ -cap'n, Harry," Mal stated, giving Uma a small smile. "Uma was captain first, she's our main captain."

Uma smiled and stood a little straighter. "Well, as your captain, I order you to go and have a good birthday!"

"Aye aye Cap'n!" Mal said, giving her cousin a small salute. Her friends chuckled and before long the crew had to split up; each one of her friends expected back by their parents. Mal didn't mind though. That just meant that she could spend more time at her dad's.

"Dad?!" Mal called as she walked through to the Underworld.

"Oh Lady Mal!" Pain exclaimed as he walked past and Mal rolled her eyes. Ever since her dad had told her the truth, his minions had been calling her 'Lady' Mal non stop. She wasn't a Lady—she was just Mal!

"Pain," Mal said with a small nod. "Is my dad in the kitchen?"

"Yes my lady."

"Don't call me that!" Mal exclaimed as Pain scampered away, obviously expecting a fireball that never came. Mal couldn't help but roll her eyes once more.

_How did dad survive the six months without Steph with just those two before I came along?_ Mal thought as she made her way into the kitchen. To her surprise, a similar scene to the one that had been at the clubhouse awaited her. Well, except for the fact that no one was slumped over asleep.

"Dad?" Mal asked, a little shocked at the fact that her dad had remembered or even known when her birthday was.

"You thought I wouldn't do anything?" Hades asked, giving his daughter a small smile. "Mali, I've waited six years to celebrate this day with you. Now, it's not much but I was thinking maybe some dinner and then maybe get a portal call from Steph? And then I've got something to show you."

"Okay," Mal said with a small nod as she tilted her head slightly. "What's for dinner?"

"Chicken of course," Hades chuckled. "The way you scarf it down at the restaurant, I assumed it was your favorite. Unless you'd rather have something else?"

Mal shook her head. "Nope! Chicken's fine!"

Hades grinned. "Okay, well you can come over here and help if you want. Or you can stay over there and offer commentary?"

Mal tapped her chin in mock thought. "Snide commentary is what I'm good at though!"

"Well every chef needs a critic," Hades teased and Mal stuck her tongue out at him, causing Hades to chuckle once more. Mal watched as her dad quickly got to work on dinner; the sounds of sizzling chicken quickly filling the kitchen.

"Hey dad?" Mal asked after a few minutes of silence. "Do you have any charcoal or something I could use?"

Hades chuckled a little. "Well that's an odd question. Why do you need charcoal?"

"Uma, Harry and Jay got me this for my birthday," Mal said, holding up the notebook. "I want to break it in but I don't have anything to draw with."

Hades couldn't help but smile at that; he loved seeing Mal doodling with the condensation from the water glass or drawing in the sand by the docks whenever he made his way to Hook's. With the popularity of the restaurant picking up, it had gotten to the point where he needed to have two delivery pickups and he wasn't going to have Mal or Virgil be overworked.

"We should have some around here somewhere," Hades said. "Or I can ask Steph to pick some up for when she comes back from Boreadon."

Mal nodded slowly, clearly not happy with that answer but not wanting to make a fuss. It didn't matter anyway as dinner was quickly ready soon after that. Hades plated the chicken and presented it to Mal.

"Dig in Mali," Hades said with a small smile. "I'll plate my own but you don't have to wait for me."

That was all the invitation Mal needed to start tearing into the chicken. It tasted better than it normally did, which was a high bar to clear as her dad's cooking was always pretty good. It was hard to say what it was; maybe there was some new seasoning?

Hades couldn't help but smile as he ate his dinner. He hated the fact that he couldn't spoil Mal more than what the Isle would allow but at least he could do this much. Besides, at least she was with _him_ and not with the dragon.

"Lord Hades?" Pain's voice broke through the silence as the two of them finished up their dinner.

"Yes?"

"There's a call on the portal from Lady Persephone," Pain said and Hades' heart swelled as he saw the grin that appeared on Mal's face at the little imp's words. _Great timing Steph,_ Hades thought as he helped Mal down before she raced to the portal room.

"Mal!" Persephone exclaimed in delight as Mal burst into the room. "Oh sweetie, happy birthday!"

"Thanks Steph," Mal said with a small smile.

"I wish I could be there to celebrate with you in person," Persephone sighed, the smile still on her lips. "But I'm sure your friends and your father have made it a good one?"

Mal nodded. "They have! Oh Steph, that reminds me. Did you send a bed to the Isle from Boreadon?"

"What do you mean Mal?" Persephone asked, though the small smirk on her face betrayed the innocent look she was going for. Mal could only smirk in response as Hades walked into the room.

"Hey Steph," Hades said with a small smile. "How was your day?"

Persephone sighed. "Oh you know the usual. I won't bore you with the details—not on Mal's birthday of all days."

Mal chuckled a little at that. She _loved_ hearing about Steph's day, if only because it normally came with a running commentary from her dad. She never knew how many different ways there were to call someone a moron before until she met her dad.

"Have you shown her yet?" Persephone asked, looking at Hades.

"Showed me what?" Mal asked but Hades shook his head.

"I wanted to wait until after you called," he told Persephone. "I figured we'd make the offer together."

Mal tilted her head in slight confusion. What offer? What were they talking about?

"Mali," Hades said gently, kneeling down to get to her level. "I know you live at Maleficent's right now but what would you say if I offered you a place to sleep here?"

Mal paused. "You mean like I would live with you?"

"If that's what you would want," Hades said. "It's completely up to you though. I know you've spent five years living with your mother so if you'd rather—"

"No!" Mal said, cutting Hades off; the excitement of what that meant rushing through her body. "No, I…I want a room here."

Hades grinned and Persephone smiled from her spot in the portal. They had waited years to hear those words and they sounded just as sweet as they imagined them.

"But wait, Steph asked if you had showed me something?" Mal asked, looking at her father in confusion and slightly tilting her head.

Hades chuckled. "Well you're going to need a place to hang your hat after all," he told her, patting the hat that was still on Mal's head. "Virgil and I have been working on getting a room set up for you."

"Really?" Mal asked. "But what if I'd said no, that I didn't want it?"

"It would have still been here for you Mali," Hades said gently. "For whenever you _did_ want it."

Mal couldn't help but smile at that.

"Go and show her dear," Persephone said. "I'll stay on the line for when you get back."

Hades nodded and held out a hand for Mal to take. Gently taking the offered hand, Mal followed Hades out of the portal room to one of the spare rooms. It was actually the only room she hadn't been in since she had been over in the Underworld. The door was always shut but sometimes she would catch Hades or Steph staring at it fondly.

Now, though, Mal had to chuckle as she came to the door; painted a dark shade of purple. It was so dark it almost looked like black but Mal could tell the difference.

"Ready?" Hades asked as he put his hand on the doorknob. Mal nodded, a little excited. Hades gave a small smile as he opened the door and Mal couldn't help but grin. It truly wasn't much, but what it was was better than she could ever imagine.

Sure she had a room at Maleficent's but that was just for show than anything else. After all, the dragon couldn't have it get out that her daughter slept in a closet or anything.

Here, she had a bed and a dresser and a _bookshelf_ with more books than she thought were on the Isle. Sure the furniture was clearly used but Mal didn't mind. She wasn't a prissy princess, she was a _dragon._

_No,_ Mal thought as she glanced at her dad. _I'm a Cerberus._

"How….?"

"I'm your dad Mal," Hades said. "When it comes to making sure your kid's happy, not even a magical barrier'll stop a parent. I know it's not much but it's got the bones to be a—"

Whatever Hades was going to say was cut off by the hug Mal gave him. Normally Mal would have kept her cool and freaked out in private. But now, knowing she had another option other than the clubhouse on nights where she didn't want to stay at Maleficent's? A place where she could truly be _her_ and not some carbon copy of the dragon?

Best. Birthday. Ever.


	18. Chapter 18

The months continued to fly by and before Mal knew it, it was September. She couldn't believe how much things had changed throughout the year. She still stayed at Maleficent's once a week if only to keep up appearances. Considering it was the goblins who usually checked on her, though, a pillow stuffed under her threadbare blanket tended to fool them and she could sneak out without getting caught.

Staying at her dad's, though, was so much better. Pain and Panic didn't pinch and scratch her to wake her up in the morning but came with a respectful 'my lady' that never failed to elicit a growl from Mal. Though whether that was because Mal wasn't a morning person or because of the title, they would never know.

Today, though, was a different day. Today was her official first day of school—since she was six, she was old enough to go now. Mal wasn't exactly thrilled about it but her dad had promised a spray paint lesson after school so the day wasn't _so_ bad.

"Morning Mali," Hades said with a small smile as Mal walked into the kitchen.

"Morning dad," Mal said, returning the smile. It _may_ have been morning and it _may_ have been her first day of school but her dad never failed to eliminate her bad mood.

"Grab some breakfast and then get going," Hades said before chuckling. "The last thing you'd want is to be on time for class on your first day."

Mal nodded and dug into the food that was before her. Granted it was just leftovers but her dad's leftovers were better than anything Boreadon had to offer. Scarfing it down, Mal hopped down and grabbed her hat and her bag.

"Now is today your 'appearance' day with the dragon?" Hades asked as he walked her to the door. He wasn't thrilled with the fact that Mal still stayed with Maleficent but one night was better than nothing. But if Maleficent hurt Mal in anyway…let's just say they would find out if fire _could_ burn a dragon.

"Nope," Mal said. "The dragon had her night two nights ago. I don't even think she noticed I was there though. She seems fixated with busting from the Isle, trying to find a weak spot in the barrier."

Hades snorted. "I'd tell her good luck with that if I didn't find her frustration amusing. Zeus reinforced the barrier when it was created so the odds of there being a weak spot are extremely low."

Mal couldn't help the small giggle that came out at that. Maleficent's frustration _was_ quite amusing especially when Mal was safe on the other side of the Isle.

"Go on," Hades said. "I'll see you after school."

Mal nodded and left the Underworld, stopping by the docks on her way to Dragon Hall. Uma and Harry weren't attending her school, having been enrolled in Serpent Academy. Mal wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of her crew being split up but at least it was only a few hours a day. They could always meet up in the clubhouse afterwards.

"Hello co-cap'n!" Harry said with a grin as Mal walked into the chip shoppe. "Aren't you a bit lost? Dragon Hall is in town after all."

"I wasn't going to go without saying hi to you two," Mal said with a smirk. "Where's our captain?"

Harry tilted his head toward the back. "In the kitchen. Fair warning Mal, she's not in the best of moods. I'd keep it short before she wraps her tentacles around you."

Mal shook her head and walked into the kitchen. Just as Harry said, Uma was busy glowering at the dishes towering in the sink; clearly her cousin was not in the best of moods, as Harry had said.

"What did the dishes do to you?" Mal asked and Uma whirled around.

"What are you doing here?" Uma growled.

"Oh gee Uma, I feel so loved," Mal snarked. "I mean, I just wanted to say hi to my captain and crew before I made my way to Dragon Hall but if this is how I'm going to be greeted…"

Uma sighed. "Don't go Mal. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"What's up?" Mal asked and Uma sighed again.

"I found out why Anastasia Tremaine hasn't been at Curl Up and Dye as often," Uma said. "Apparently she and my dad had a relationship. I'm getting a sibling."

"You don't sound thrilled about that."

"They'll be worthless! A baby! Mal, you know the only thing a baby is good for around here is getting kidnapped! There's no way I'm risking my neck for the welp!"

Mal shook her head. "Well it'll be a while before the welp as you called them will arrive. Besides Uma, this just means you'll be an older sister! Basically you'll be the captain in your own family."

Uma couldn't help but smirk a little at that. "That does sound good…but they'll still be worthless!"

"True. But they won't always be worthless. Besides, you know the smaller kids always go unnoticed. We could train your sibling to grab loot if Jay's busy with his dad's quota."

Uma's smirk grew. "That sounds good," she said.

"We still on for training later on?" Mal asked as the two of them made their way out of the kitchen. She figured it was better to not push the subject.

"Of course," Uma said. "Oh, you're coming here for lunch right? Dragon Hall is usually stingy for lunches, what with the food we get from Boreadon from what my mom says. Serpent Academy seems like it's the same."

Mal nodded. While she would normally choose to go to her dad's restaurant, she wouldn't pass up the chance to eat with her crew.

"Great!" Uma grinned. "Now get going!"

"Aye aye cap'n!" Mal nodded and walked out of the restaurant. Making her way into town, Mal met up with Jay. Since Jay was older, he should have been a year ahead of them in school. However, Jafar didn't want to miss out on thieving opportunities so he enrolled Jay a year later.

Not that Mal was complaining. She would never say anything but she was happy that she would have someone from her crew with her. Especially since she saw Blueberry walk past her as they walked into the school.

"Leave her cap'n," Jay muttered, resting a hand on Mal's shoulder. "She's a pest, not worth the energy."

Mal nodded tersely but was already making plans to restock their smoke bomb stock. Just in case Blueberry thought any emotions from being snubbed of an invite had faded and tried to worm her way into Mal's crew.

_I mean, I think I'd rather join Frollo's crew than spend more time with Blueberry than I had to,_ Mal thought. The first half of the day went by faster than Mal had thought possible and before she knew it, it was lunchtime and she and Jay were sitting at the counter of Ursula's Chip Shoppe scarfing down fried clams and burnt breadcrumb fish.

"…and now we go to the castle, as Prince Ben gets ready to return to class for the afternoon," the reporter on the television stated and Mal rolled her eyes.

"What do we care about Prince Beastie?" Harry scoffed.

"Apparently King Beastie thinks we do. Otherwise the only other thing we have to watch is an infomercial on dungeon shackles," Uma sighed.

Mal shook her head and looked at the television again. The prince wasn't what you thought of when you pictured a prince; he was clad in dark blue pants, blue and yellow shoes with laces and a light blue shirt.

_Honestly, when you think of a prince you think of what his dad's wearing,_ Mal thought as she glanced at King Beastie. He was looking the way you'd think a king would look; clad in his suit and tie and crown. _Gods, can't you go one day without the crown Beastie? What, you thought people might forget you're the king otherwise?_

Mal wasn't going to lie, she felt an odd lump in the back of her throat as she saw Queen Belle wrap Prince Ben up in a big hug. She would never say it out loud but it would be nice to have something like that. Sure she had her dad but sometimes a girl needed a mom.

And Maleficent was certainly no mother.

_You've got Steph,_ a small voice in her head rang out. _No matter what, Steph has always been there. Even if Steph's not your mom, she's better._

Mal sighed as she caught sight of Beastie wrap Prince Ben up in a hug as well. _Of course, have to act like a loving person for the cameras,_ Mal thought with an inward eye roll. No matter what good will Belle might have on the Isle, no one would be caught dead praising Beast.

The lump in her throat didn't go away though and Mal knew the only place she wanted to be was with her dad. Steph being there too would have been preferable but Mal knew the motto of the Isle well. Beggers couldn't be choosers.

"Guys, I'm skipping the rest of the day," Mal said and her crew nodded. Hopping down, Mal made her way to the Underworld, walking faster than she usually did. Not fast enough to draw attention but still fast enough that she got to the Underworld faster than she usually did.

"Hello?" Mal called out just as Persephone walked out into the hall from the portal room. Mal froze, was today the day? The day that Persephone came back? How had she missed it on the calendar?

"Hello Mal," Persephone said softly, giving Mal a kind smile. That was all Mal needed as she raced toward her step mother and wrapped her arms around her waist, burying her face into her stomach. She couldn't help but smile as she felt Steph's arms wrap around her like a blanket.

The feeling passed as quickly as it came though and Mal broke from the hug, quickly wiping at her cheeks as some liquid had leaked from her eyes. "Let's not talk about this, okay?"

Persephone only chuckled and gave her a small smile. Little did the two of them know that Hades had been watching from the doorway.

Normally he'd make some comment about wanting a hug too but he wasn't going to take the moment from Persephone. She had been gone for six months and Hades knew she had missed Mal. He still remembered the conversation he had with Persephone the day she had told Mal she needed to go back to Boreadon.

_"I'll have to tell her at some point Hades," Steph said in a low voice. They could hear Mal and Virgil talking in the den and didn't want to risk disturbing them._

_"She's_ **_five_ ** _, Steph. I don't know how she'll take it," Hades told her and Persephone sighed._

_"I hate this. I already missed five years with her—she'll be six by the time I'm back on the Isle."_

_"I know Steph," Hades said with a sigh. "I hate it too but what else can we do? It's not like we can renegotiate the agreement."_

_"I know Hades but Mal is still my child too and I'm missing her life! It doesn't matter that she wasn't born to me, she's still mine!"_

_"I know Steph. Portal calls can only do so much and Mal's not over here every day."_

_Persephone sighed and shook her head. "How do you explain to a five year old child that you're going to be in and out of their life?"_

_"Well thanks to Maleficent, we're already pros at that," Hades grumbled._

Mal had walked in before they could continue the conversation and Steph had told Mal the news about needing to return to Auradon.

"Welcome back Steph," Hades said, pulling himself out of his thoughts. Persephone looked over at him and smiled.

"It's good to be back," Persephone said softly. "Mal, why don't you show me your room? Hades, dear, my bags are still in the portal room. Can you get them?"

Mal tilted her head a little in confusion but then shrugged. It didn't really matter.

Hades chuckled as his girls made their way to Mal's room and he made his way to the portal room. Normally when one thought of bags, they thought of suitcases piled to the ceiling. Not with Steph, there were maybe two or three bags with a small carrier and yet Hades felt his heart jump into his throat.

Back when they had Mal the first time…Steph had come with bags of toys and clothes to spoil Mal with. Now it seemed that Steph had the same idea—only no clothes this time. One bag held numerous pencils and filled cans of spray paint while the other one seemed to have all the necessary supplies for a pet.

A small bag in the middle held a medium sized cupcake with bright purple lettering showing up against the white frosting: Happy Birthday Mali.

Even if Hades was as dumb as Gaston, he wouldn't need any hints as to what was in the small carrier that was off to the side. They had talked about getting Mal a pet so she wouldn't be the only kid on the Isle without one. Steph had come through on that.

Quickly getting the gifts and the cupcake over to the kitchen and setting it up, Hades rushed back to the portal room to grab the carrier. Rushing back to the den, Hades pulled the now wriggling puppy out of the carrier and held him in his arms.

_Okay Steph, we're going to talk about the fact that you got our daughter a_ ** _Cerberus_** _puppy as a pet,_ Hades thought as he held his chin up as to avoid the licking that was coming from one of the heads. He didn't have long to wait though for the return of Mal and Steph as he heard their voices from the hall.

"Dad, Steph really liked my room!" Mal said with a smile before pausing. "Did…did you get yourself a Cerberus for the Isle dad?"

Hades shook his head and smiled a little at his daughter. "Well, he's for the Isle but he's not for me Mali."

"Oh. Steph never really struck me as a dog person and really I think Virgil's a bit too nervous for a three headed dog but okay, to each their own—"

"Mal, he's not for Steph or Virgil," Hades said, the smile still on his face as Persephone moved to stand next to him.

"Well then who's he for?" Mal asked, crossing her arms. "You're not going to just drop him on the Isle and make him fend for himself are you?"

"Mal, sweetie, he's for you," Persephone said and Mal stood there, stunned. She must have stood there for a full minute before the largest smile Hades and Persephone ever saw broke onto her face.

"Dad, are…are you serious?" Mal asked, staring at the puppy in amazement. "He's for me?"

"Have I ever lied to you before Mali?" Hades asked gently. "If you want to rant to Virgil, try to not do it in the den where people can overhear. But anyway, you shouldn't be the only kid on the Isle who doesn't have a pet just because you didn't get an invite to a party. I talked about it to Steph and she agreed to go, shall we say, 'special' puppy hunting while in Boreadon. Hence the fluffy result in my arms."

_Steph, when I meant special I just meant as a special treat._

_You honestly thought I wouldn't get our daughter the best?_ Persephone thought back, using the mind link all the Gods of Olympus had. Since there was no 'evil' intent, the barrier couldn't block it. _Besides, the poor pup was going to die in the pound if someone didn't adopt him._

_You're lucky I love you._

_And you love Cerberi. After all, you named yours 'Spot'._

Hades shook his head as Mal walked over to pet one of the heads. "He's so soft," she said gently.

Hades grinned as he handed the puppy over to her.

"I'm glad you like him Mal," Persephone said, "and for the record I _do_ like dogs."

"You just struck me as more of a bird or horse person," Mal teased, giggling a bit as the three floppy eared heads snuffled at her.

Mal couldn't help but smile as the puppy continued to sniff at her. "Hi! Oh, you're so fluffy," she said softly, petting the puppy in her hands. The puppy's left head gave Mal a small lick on the cheek.

"He's amazing," Mal whispered, looking back at her dad and step mom.

"I also brought everything you'll need for him, and a purple collar of course," Persephone said with a smile. "All you'll need to do is think of a name for him and it'll go on the tag."

"Thanks Steph," Mal said with a smile as she looked back at the puppy. Anything Greek was off the table, a Cerberus was already a massive hint that she was connected to Hades but give the dog a Greek name and even Gaston could see that she was related in someway.

But there was a way around that. Since Maleficent had at least communicated with the royals of France before she was banished to the Isle, she thought it would at least benefit her daughter to know a little of the language. At least so if she ever got off the Isle, she wouldn't embarrass the Maleficent name.

"Estelle. His name's Estelle," Mal said softly, looking at the new star of her life. Plus, that way there could be the hidden Greek twist—after all, the constellations were stars.

"I'll put it on the tag," Persephone said with a smile.

"Actually, Steph, I think Mal should do that," Hades said.

"Are you sure dad?" Mal asked softly, Estelle still in her hands.

Hades nodded. "The first time putting on a dog's collar is a big thing. It should be between you two; remember you'll have him for _life_ now."

Mal nodded and set Estelle down so she could grab the collar. There was no way she would be able to put the collar on him with him still in her arms. The three heads watched her curiously, wagging his little nub of a tail.

"Well boy, after I get this on you, you're stuck with me," Mal said softly, giving him a small smile. "Are you up for it?"

Estelle looked at Mal and gave her a little puppy grin, his tail wagging. Mal couldn't help but grin back and gently slipped the collar around his middle head. "Welcome to the family," she said softly as the tag glowed causing the name to appear and three small blue gemstones appeared, as if making the name appear in parenthesis.

Estelle gave a small woof and licked Mal's hand, his tail still wagging happily.

"That's not the only thing we have for you Mali," Persephone said softly.

"Wait, there's _more_? You guys already got me Estelle—"

"We couldn't celebrate on your actual birthday because of the stupid agreement but I'm here now. We can celebrate as an actual family," Persephone said. "I told you we'd do something for your birthday way back in April and I keep my promises Mali."

Mal nodded slowly, as if unable to believe what she was hearing. Silently she followed Hades and Steph to the kitchen, Estelle plodding behind her. The sight of the brightly colored bags and the cupcake sitting on the plate in the middle of the counter gave her pause.

"Is…is that for me?" Mal asked softly.

"Of course," Persephone said gently as she picked Mal up to put her on one of the stools but he counter so she could blow out the candle. "Let me get a picture."

Mal nodded and tried her best to fight the tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. She wasn't going to ruin Steph's photo by being weak. It was stupid to cry anyway—who cries over a party? A prissy princess that's who, and Mal was _not_ prissy.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Mal, happy birthday to you," Hades and Persephone sang as Persephone lit the candle and quickly took the photo.

"Make a wish sweetie," Persephone said gently.

_But everything I could wish for, I already have,_ Mal thought. _A way to escape the dragon, a parent who actually cares, a crew…_

Mal blew out the candle and it was as if she'd given permission to her body to let the tears flow as she felt her cheeks get wet. Furious, she began scrubbing at her eyes to try to stem the flow of tears but to no avail.

"Dad, Steph, I…I—"

"Shh, it's okay Mal. You don't need to explain sweetheart," Persephone said gently. "Just let it out. It's okay to cry."

"It's okay Mali," Hades said gently as he rubbed her back, trying not to rush out of the room to kill his ex-wife. _Mal shouldn't be crying at her own party,_ he thought.

"No, no what I meant to say is…thank you. I…I definitely didn't expect this," Mal said, trying to calm herself and giving them a small smile. Even if she broke one of the cardinal rules of the Isle by doing so, she knew her dad and Steph weren't going to tell anyone.

"You don't need to thank us Mal," Persephone said with a small smile. "It's your birthday, or at least your birthday where we're all together."

"I..I just..I wasn't expecting…"

"I know sweetie," Persephone smiled gently. "You can let it out you know. No one's going to be upset with you for crying. You're safe here."

Mal shook her head as the tears began to well back up. "Dragons don't cry," she muttered. "Cerberi don't cry. _Villains_ don't cry."

"But daughters can and that's all you need to be here," Hades said gently. "It's okay Mali. This is your home. No one is going to make you feel bad about crying here. Of course we won't force you to cry but if you feel like you need to let it out, you can do that. There's no shame in emotions…not here anyway, and this is the guy who used to erupt into a giant fireball when he got mad."

Mal tried to stop it but the tears began to leak out of her eyes once more, silently streaming down her cheeks.

"That's it," Persephone said gently with a sad smile as she and Hades continued to rub Mal's back gently.

_Damn you Maleficent_ was what ran through the heads of both parents as they continued to let Mal know they were still there. _How dare you do this to her! Mal shouldn't be crying at her own party because she hadn't been expecting one!_

Estelle gave a low whine as he sat up on his hind legs to put his front paws on Mal's leg, his eyes soft. One of his heads gave a soft lick to Mal's hand, as if to comfort her.

"I'm alright boy," Mal said, giving him a weak smile. "I'm…I'm happy."

Estelle gave a low off and wagged his tail a little, giving Mal a doggy grin. Mal couldn't help but smile a little and scratched behind the ear of the middle head.

Hades couldn't help but give a soft smile as he watched, happy Estelle was able to cheer Mal up a little.

"I'm okay," Mal said as she wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks.

"Okay sweetie," Persephone said softly and Mal gave them a small smile.

"Thank you guys for the party. It's…it's more than I've ever gotten before. I mean Harry and Uma did what they could but…"

"You don't have to thank us Mal," Hades said gently. "We're your parents, it's our job to spoil you on your birthday. And, since Steph couldn't be here _on_ the date proper, it's only fitting we have a party _now_."

"I can live with that," Mal said softly.

"Good," Hades said with a smile. "Cause you're stuck with us. So be prepared for as much spoiling on your birthday as the Isle allows."

Mal couldn't help but giggle at that. "Dad! That's a nice thought but it's barely anything."

"True, but what we can do we will," Hades told her with a smile. "Now then…who's up for their first bit of cake?"

"Me!" Mal giggled, causing Hades and Persphone to grin. Persephone cut into the cupcake and set a piece on a plate, setting it in front of Mal.

"Here you go Mal," she said and Mal licked her lips slightly. "Dig in."

Mal tentatively picked up the small fork given to her and took a small bit of the cake. Putting the cake into her mouth, Mal couldn't help but grin at the taste.

_Wow! This is good! Amazing actually! Definitely not something you'd find on the Isle—there's no dirt on it for one,_ Mal thought as she chewed.

"What do you think?" Persephone asked with a small smile.

"It's good!" Mal said with a grin.

Persephone returned the smile as Mal went back to her cake, digging in and missing the smile her dad and step mother shared. Before Mal knew it, the cake was gone and her presents were opened.

"Dad, can I take Estelle on a walk?" Mal asked.

"He's your dog Mal, you don't need to ask permission," Hades said. "Just be careful—and have him wear the leash Steph got for the first few walks so he doesn't run off."

Mal nodded.

"Oh Mal," Persephone said, reaching into her own bag. "I got this for you after you said that you had a bed in your clubhouse. A bed needs a blanket after all—I had Rapunzel tie dye it for you guys. Don't worry, all she thinks it is is a way for me to remember Auradon when I'm on the Isle."

Mal nodded, staring at the blanket in slight shock. It was big enough that it could easily cover all four of them and the bed! Plus it was tie dyed _their_ colors—red, purple, blue and yellow.

"Thanks Steph," Mal said softly, folding up the blanket to put under her arm. Persephone gave her a small smile as Mal hooked up the leash to Estelle's collar. Walking out of the Underworld, Mal rushed over to her clubhouse. She wanted Estelle to get used to it before the others came.

Unleashing Estelle once they got inside, Mal went over to the bed and unfurled the blanket. Now all they were missing was a couple of pillows and this could be an _actual_ bed, not just a place to sleep.

"Estelle!" Mal giggled as her puppy jumped onto the bed and rolled on his side, as if asking for Mal to pet him. Shaking her head, Mal did just that and in her distraction missed the gate opening and the arrival of her crew.

"Where did you get a _puppy_?" Uma asked, staring at Estelle in slight shock. The boys, however, were staring open jawed at the fact that there was a _Cerberus_ in their clubhouse.

"From Lord Hades," Mal said with a shrug. "Guys, allow me to introduce Estelle!"

"Um Mal? I'm not sure Lord Hades is the type to just give his errand rats _puppies_ ," Harry said as Uma bent down to pet Estelle. Mal didn't respond at first.

_Dad said not to tell anyone!_

_It's my crew! If I can't trust them, who can I trust? Besides, Uma's my cousin!_

Mal sighed. "Guys, if I tell you _why_ Lord Hades got me Estelle, I need you to swear that it won't leave this room."

"Of course," Jay nodded.

"Wild seahorses wouldn't drag it out to me," Uma told her.

"I give you my word as a pirate," Harry promised.

Mal nodded and sighed. "Lord Hades gives his errand rats puppies if they're also his _daughter_ ," she said, looking at Harry.

The three of them stared at Mal for a second, as if they didn't understand what she had just said.

"You're my cousin?" Uma asked, breaking the silence.

Mal gave her a small smile. "Seems there's a reason why we're so close huh?"

"Guess so…cuz," Uma said, returning the smile. The boys, meanwhile, were still looking on in shock.

"Guys? Hello? Snap out of it," Mal said as Estelle trotted around, sniffing everybody.

"Sorry Mal," Jay said, shaking his head as if to clear it. "It's kinda shocking though, knowing a child of a _God_."

"You know _Uma_! It can't be _that_ shocking!"

"Uma, and I mean this with no offense meant to the captain, is a _grandchild_ of a God," Harry spoke up. "Child is higher up than grandchild."

"So you really _are_ the highest in the hierarchy," Jay said softly.

Mal shrugged. "I'm still me though. To everyone on the Isle but you guys, Dad and Steph, I'm Maleficent's daughter."

"So how does that little fluffy fur ball tie in?" Harry asked.

Mal smiled. "Dad and Steph got him for me. They said that it wasn't right that I was the only kid on the Isle without a pet since I was the only one not at Blueberry's party. So now we have a four legged member of the crew!"

"As long as he doesn't take my hook I'll be fine with him," Harry said with a grin as Estelle sniffed at the aforementioned item.

"I can train him Harry," Mal said. "Estelle, leave it!"

Estelle stopped sniffing Harry's hook and looked over at Mal.

"Leave it!" Mal told him again and Estelle walked over to Mal. "Good boy," she said, picking him up and cuddling him a little. Estelle gave a small woof, one of the heads licking Mal on the cheek and causing Mal to giggle softly.

"He's a real fluff ball," Harry said with a small smile.

"Yes he is."

"Where did Uncle Hades get him?" Uma asked, petting one of the heads.

"He didn't," Mal said. "Steph did. From where, I'd have to guess wherever Cerberi live I guess."

"My money would be Greece," Uma said. "After all, that's where all the Gods are from and Aunt Persephone's a Goddess. Plus I bet that's where the _real_ Underworld is and there's probably packs of Cerberi way deep underground or something."

"Well wherever she got him from, I'm glad she did," Mal said with a grin as she hugged Estelle. He was _hers—_ and he always would be! Plus, how many kids on the Isle could say they had a _Cerberus_? The same number who could say they were Hades' kid— _one_!

"You guys hungry?" Mal asked with a small grin. "We could stop by my dad's place if you don't want to train with Estelle possibly getting underfoot."

She figured that's why her dad and Steph had her eat the cake first—she _always_ went to her dad's restaurant with her crew after they trained.

"I could eat," Jay shrugged.

"Would Estelle be okay in the restaurant?" Harry asked.

Mal shrugged. "Anyone tries to touch him and they'll answer to me. Besides, even if they don't know I'm dad's kid, who's going to look at a Cerberus funny in Lord _Hades_ ' restaurant?"

She turned toward the stairwell, Estelle in her arms. "Come on."

Uma, Jay and Harry quickly followed her. Mal set Estelle down once they reached the bottom of the steps and clipped on his leash.

"Whoa a leash," Uma chuckled. "Better watch out guys, Mal might ditch us for Blueberry soon!"

"Don't be dramatic Uma," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "It's just until he learns he has to stay with me or at least the crew. The Isle's too big for something his size. I don't want the running off or into Sykes' dobermans, at least not while he's this size. He'll be trotting after me without it in no time."

"I know Mal," Uma chuckled. "But if I can't tease _you_ , who can I tease?" She asked, giving her cousin a small smile and causing Mal to chuckle.

"You can tease our first mates," Mal told her.

"Okay Mal," Uma said with a chuckle.

Mal grinned. "Let's go."

The four of them made their way to Hades' restaurant, Estelle tagging along and Mal smiled fondly.

"Hey, is Estelle going to be okay? In the restaurant I mean?" Jay asked.

"Didn't I already ask that question?" Harry asked and Jay rolled his eyes.

"No, I mean are they even going to let him in?"

Mal shrugged. "If they don't, they can take it up with the man in charge," she said and Jay nodded. "Come on!"

"Yes cap'n!"

"That's _co_ cap'n," Mal said with a grin as she opened the door to the restaurant. "Come on boy, over here."

Estelle followed Mal over to a nearby table.

"You stay right here while we go get some food," Mal said as she tied his leash to the table leg. "Sit."

Estelle sat down and gave a small woof.

"Good boy," Mal gave a small smile as she headed back to the crew to place their orders. Her father had hired on Mr. Smee and a few of the pirates from the docks as part of his deal with Hook. Smee was a hard worker though so it didn't matter, plus it helped whenever Mal walked in with Harry.

"Hello Ms. Mal! Master Harry, Mr. Jay and Ms. Uma! What'll be for you today?" The first mate asked with a smile.

"Usuals?" Jay asked the group.

"Works for me," Mal said with a grin.

"So that's crispy chicken for Ms. Mal, honey glazed chicken for Ms. Uma, Braclaius for Mr. Jay and Master Harry…"

"Sounds about right," Harry nodded.

"Coming up."

Mal nodded and the four of them went back to their table; Estelle still waiting for them underneath it. Mal couldn't help but grin: life was pretty good! She had her crew, Estelle, her dad and Steph. What more could a girl ask for?

Well…maybe food…but that was coming! Any moment now! Mal couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation, she could almost taste it!

"Here we are!" Mr Smee said as he approached the table. "Four orders: one for Ms. Uma, one for Mr. Jay, one for Master Harry and one for Ms. Mal."

"Thanks Smee," Harry said.

"Of course," Mr. Smee nodded. "Let me know if you four need anything more—oh and if the dog under the table needs anything as well."

"He's good Smee but thanks," Mal said with a small chuckle.

"Of course Ms. Mal," Mr. Smee said and walked back to the kitchen. The four of them dug into their meals. Meanwhile, on the other end of the Isle, Hades and Persephone's bedroom door closed shut as Hades gladly welcomed his wife home the best way he knew how.


	19. Chapter 19

Mal walked down the streets of the Isle a couple of months after the makeshift birthday party, Estelle's leash firmly in hand. It was a nice day, or at least as nice a day they got on the Isle. The cloud cover didn't seem as bad at the very least. Mal couldn't help but smile as people seemed to scurry out of her way. Sure she got a few odd looks but no one said anything. No one was insane enough to question the daughter of Maleficent walking down the street with a _Cerberus_.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?"

Okay scratch that. There was _one_ person who was insane enough. Unfortunately, they were also the other pain in Mal's side.

_Ugh, Blueberry can at least be intimidated into going away. Frollo's just a pest,_ Mal thought as Fred Frollo walked toward her. The nine year old strolled over to Mal, the purple haired girl glaring at him.

"Aww, does poor widdle Mally need a guard dog to protect her from the scary Isle?" Frollo taunted.

"Baby talk Freddy?" Mal shot back as Estelle looked at her in slight confusion before looking back at Frollo. "Seems beneath you."

Frollo scoffed. "What's with the dog anyway? Didn't strike you for the type to have a dog, witch. Thought your kind went more for crows and toads."

Mal glared at him. "He's _my_ puppy. I got him because of a little princess' birthday just like every other kid on the Isle who got a pet. You got a problem with that Frollo?"

Frollo rolled his eyes. "Nobody likes a liar Mal. I have it on good authority that you weren't at Evie's party."

"Never said I got my dog _at_ Blueberry's party," Mal told him, rolling her eyes a little. "I said I got him _because_ of the party. You need to get your nose out of that bible and listen better."

Frollo glared. "You keep hanging around that heretic Hades and there'll be trouble Mal. He can't keep claiming to be a false God forever."

"Hey!" Harry and Jay exclaimed as they turned the corner to see the confrontation, Uma trailing behind them. To a casual observer, one would think Uma just didn't care but Mal knew better. Uma knew her cousin could handle herself against Frollo.

"Looks like your little crew is here," Frollo smirked as he slipped into the shadows, Estelle letting out a low growl as Harry and Jay reached Mal.

"You okay Mal?" Jay asked.

"Yeah," Mal nodded. "Freddy boy was just being a pest is all."

"Mal, I have to say I don't like the way he stares at you sometimes," Harry said, crossing his arms. "It's just creepy. Like he's planning something."

Mal rolled her eyes. "What do you expect? His father nearly burned down all of Paris because he got told no. Of course Freddy boy would have a creepy stare."

Harry and Jay still seemed unsure, staring in the direction that Frollo had gone as if the older boy was going to reappear. Uma, who had caught up to the group, shook her head.

"Boys, Freddy boy has hated me the minute he found out I existed," Mal said with a sigh. "He's just a pest. You two are acting like he's going to become like his father and hunt me down like Esmerelda. Chill, will you?"

"Mal, he may be a pest but he's a pest that stares at you," Harry told her. "It's just creepy."

"Yeah, we'll 'chill' when he does," Jay nodded.

Mal looked over at Uma and both girls shared an exasperated look as the boys continued to glare in Frollo's direction.

"Guys, unless he wants six sets of teeth in his hands, he won't do anything even when I'm alone. Now _calm_ down," Mal told them.

"Mal, like you said, the guy's day once burned down all of Paris because Esmeralda wouldn't have a relationship with him. Do you really think Freddy boy would be discouraged by Estelle?" Harry asked.

"Who _wouldn't_ be discouraged by Estelle?"

"The son of the guy who once sang, and I _quote_ , 'choose me or the pyre'?"

"Look, Mal, all we're saying is don't lower your guard around him," Jay interjected.

"When have I _ever_ lowered my guard around Freddy?" Mal asked. "Really guys, you're panicking over nothing."

"We're not 'panicking' Mal," Harry told her. "If we could predict what Freddy would do next, we'd brush him off like the pest he is but he's unpredictable. You never know when he'll pop up."

Mal sighed and shook her head once more.

"Guys, seriously, it's fine. If Freddy tries anything, he'd be met with three mouths filled with sharp fangs and a fireball sent his way. So relax, would you?" Mal told them. Ever since she turned six, her dad had been helping her tap into her God powers. He told her that, even with the barrier, it was a good idea to at least try to control her powers. That way, if she ever found her way past the barrier, her powers wouldn't go haywire.

There wasn't much she could do due to the barrier but she _could_ manage a small fireball in the palm of her hand. Small enough that it wouldn't kill anyone but fire would still do some damage.

Harry and Jay looked at each other once more while Uma rolled her eyes.

"Back me up here Uma!"

"Sorry Mal, I'm on the boys' side here," Uma said. "Freddy boy's creepy. A'int no lie about it, and for some reason he seems to dislike _you_ in particular."

"He doesn't like anyone other than his 'angels'," Mal muttered, rolling her eyes at the name for the rest of Frollo's gang.

"Even still, be careful Mal," Uma told her. "You won't have Estelle with you when you go to school and Jay can't be everywhere since Harry and I go to a different school than you guys."

"If I _promise_ I'll be on my guard, will you three relax?" Mal asked with a sigh.

"A little."

"Okay, then I promise I'll be on guard around Freddy boy." Mal said with a small eye roll.

"Good."

"You three are insane," Mal said with a sigh as she shook her head.

"The word I believe you're looking for is 'protective', co-cap'n." Harry said. "I mean, the French fanatic made Estelle _growl_ and we've never heard him growl before!"

"Yeah Mal, if Estelle doesn't like Freddy boy then he's _definitely_ bad news," Jay nodded.

"What, _just_ because Freddy boy stares at me? One good smoke bomb and *poof* I'm gone before he can say 'witchcraft'," Mal said as she shook her head. "Seriously guys, I'm alright. Besides, the training book Steph got me said dogs know when their owners don't like people. Estelle probably growled because he saw how I reacted to Freddy. "

"Okay. Just remember what we said."

"Yeah, yeah," Mal said with an eye roll.

"Okay, now that that's been addressed," Uma said. "Anyone want to go pelt smoke bombs at Blueberry? She _just_ got all the residue off from the last barrage we sent her way."

Mal chuckled. "Sounds perfect," she said with a smirk. The two cousins grinned at each other and Jay shook his head.

"Do we even have smoke bombs remaining from the last time you two pelted Blueberry with them?"

"Jay, Jay, Jay, oh ye of little faith."

"We always have smoke bombs at the ready to pelt at Blueberry, hidden all over the Isle so we can be ready at a moment's notice."

"Watch and learn."

Mal turned and started to dig in one of the nearby crates.

"Ah ha!" Mal grinned as she pulled out three smoke bombs. "Colors are unknown but that makes it more fun!"

"Let's go," Uma said with a smirk as they got into position, laying in wait for Evie to appear. Harry sat off to the side in amusement since he didn't have a smoke bomb. Plus someone had to make sure Estelle didn't run off. He couldn't help but chuckle softly, his crew would never change—and that was just the way he liked it.

"Target sighted," Mal muttered after about half an hour of waiting, catching sight of Evie.

"Aim."

"Fire!"

The sounds of Evie's shrieks was music to Mal's ears as she and Uma cackled in glee. The princess' hair and skin was now covered in purple, red and yellow residue.

"Nice shot girls," Harry said as Evie ran off, presumably to try to get the residue off before she had to go see her mother. The best part about the smoke bomb colors? No one but the crew knew what they meant so there wasn't anyway to tie it back to Harry, Mal, Jay or Uma unless Evie _saw_ them fire the smoke bomb at her.

"Thank you Harry," Mal said with a smirk.

"Blueberry's going to have a hard time getting that residue off," Uma said, a smirk gracing her face as well.

Mal got up from her spot and took Estelle's leash from Harry; Estelle giving her his usual doggy grin.

"Good boy," Mal said softly before looking at the crew. "So what now?"

Uma shrugged. "Not sure. Not really a lot to do on the Isle after all."

"We could go down to the docks, maybe swipe some stuff?" Jay offered. "Or we could go to Radcliff's place. He usually has some nicer stuff to swipe."

"Docks are good," Mal said. "Last thing we'd want is for Radcliff to catch us looting his place. He might tell Maleficent or Jafar."

"Let's go then," Uma said. "Is there anything we need?"

"Not that I can think of." Mal said. "Pillows for the bed in the clubhouse would be nice but I don't really trust any pillows that came from the docks. Let's just see what we can get."

"Sounds like a plan!" Uma said, smirking and the five of them strutted off to the docks to see what they could score. Meanwhile, back in the Underworld, Persephone curled up in bed. For the past couple of weeks, she had had these waves of never ending nausea that she just couldn't understand where it was coming from.

There wasn't a virus on the Isle, at least not that she'd heard.

"Steph?" Hades asked, his voice soft as he looked in from the doorway. "Are you feeling alright dear?"

Persephone sighed and sat up a bit. "A bit better than yesterday but still not one hundred percent. I wish I knew…"

"You have been active throughout the Isle," Hades said. "Maybe it's just a bug?"

"It's possible," Persephone said slowly as she tried to think of what else could be affecting her. "But what bug could affect a _God_ Hades?"

Hades shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'll let you get some rest though—Virgil said he found a drink from Boreadon that might sit well on your stomach. He was saving them for Mal but with you not feeling well…"

Persephone gave her husband a small smile. "Tell him that's very sweet but he doesn't have to give up his present for Mal. I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow."

"If you're not, I'll see if I can get one of those drinks from him," Hades said before he came over and kissed the top of her head.

"Hades, don't," Persephone said softly. "What if you catch whatever I have?"

"Then I'll finally be able to cuddle my wife," Hades said with a small chuckle. "I'll let you rest."

Hades left and Persephone sighed. Ever since she got back, Hades had been extremely attentive. Not that she was complaining mind you. She loved the attention she was getting from her husband. It was the same amount she got the first month or so she was back on the Isle.

Getting up to use the bathroom, Persephone paused as she knocked over some of her toiletries. She'd been a little clumsy lately, though it was probably due to the nausea. Though she'd also been feeling a bit bloated so that could be the culprit too….

_Wait a minute,_ Persephone thought as she stood up. _Nausea, clumsiness, bloating…oh I may be wrong but if I'm right, I need to talk to Eileithyia._

Reaching out with the mind link was no issue for Persephone. The only concern would be if her fellow Goddess would pick up. It had been so long since they communicated this way, despite the fact that every God or Goddess could do it.

_Persephone?_

_Oh thank Zeus! Eileithyia, you picked up!_

_Of course I did, Persephone! It's rare that you reach out when you're on the Isle. Is something the matter? Is someone pregnant?_

Persephone sighed and took a moment before answering. Saying it out loud, even in the mind link, would almost be like speaking it into existence. Was she ready for the possibility of a pregnancy? It was hard enough leaving Mal every six months, could she do that to another kid?

_Persephone?_

_Oh, yes I apologize Eileithyia. I got lost in thought._

_Quite alright but you never answered my question. Is someone with child on the Isle and in need of my services?_

_Eileithyia, can you keep a secret?_

_Of course!_

_I believe I'm with child._

Eileithyia's response was slow but that was to be expected. After all, to the Gods of Olympus, this would be Hades' _first_ child. A child of the Big Three born on the Isle? Such a thing was unheard of!

Though Persephone knew the truth, that this would be the _second_ child of Hades born on the Isle. When she had gone to Zeus for help getting Mal back from Maleficent all those years ago, though, she hadn't told him that. Persephone knew how Hades felt about Zeus and knew her husband would want his brother to have as little information about Mal as possible. So Persephone had played it as if Mal was Pain's daughter.

The purple tied in well and Hades still cared for his minions, even if he called them morons most of the time.

Persephone had been ready to reveal the truth right then and there when Zeus said simply that it was Hades' karma coming home to roost.

_Persphone?_

_Eileithyia? You're still there?_

_Yes I am. I apologize, your news startled me. Do you have any way of confirming whether or not you're with child?_

_I'm on the Isle Eileithyia. They're lucky to have babes survive to reach one year. Most of the time, pregnancies are a surprise._

_I see. Hold on one moment Persephone. I need to talk to Zeus for a second._

That wasn't good. The last thing Persephone wanted was for the other Gods to know before it was even confirmed.

_Persephone, go to the portal._

_Why?_

_I'm sending you a way to confirm that you're with child. Don't worry, only Zeus knows and for once he's agreed to keep it a secret until it's confirmed._

_But—_

_We want to know if a child of Hades is to be expected Persephone. Zeus may still harbor negative emotions toward Hades for kidnapping Hercules and the attempted take over of Olympus but the child is innocent in all this._

_Wait, the portal can be used after the six month mark?_

_I know you haven't confirmed it but you must have what the mortals call pregnancy brain. No, the portal remains closed when not on your arrival or departure date. Zeus, as a favor to his unborn niece or nephew, is allowing it to be opened for a brief time so that I can get this test to you._

Persephone sighed and quickly made her way to the portal room. Thankfully, there was no one in the hall—Virgil was in the den, Mal was out with her friends, Pain and Panic were hiding from Hades and Hades was in the kitchen preparing something for dinner. Slipping into the portal room, Persephone frowned when she saw a plain cardboard box like the ones the mortals used.

_Did you receive it?_

_Yes but Eileithyia, there must be a mistake. This looks like a mortal test._

_There's no mistake. We Gods have tried to modernize and keep with the times. Believe it or not the mortal's way of confirming they're with child is much more accurate than ours. I'll mute the link so you can take it and then I'll check back in._

Persephone nodded and made her way back to the bathroom. In her revelation, she had forgotten to do the thing that she wanted to do in the first place! Taking the test out of the box and reading the instructions, Persephone had to shake her head. How in Hera's name was this supposed to be easier than the old way?

The old way didn't run the risk of you peeing on your hand!

But being squeamish didn't get you anywhere on the Isle and it wouldn't get Persephone anywhere here either. There was no choice but to grit her teeth and do it.

One empty bladder later, Persephone set the test on the counter and sighed as she waited. Thankfully the Gods had made some improvements on the mortals' test and the result showed instantly.

_Well?_ Eileithyia's voice sounded in her brain. _What is it?_

Persephone looked at the stick in slight trepidation. She wasn't sure what she wanted—a child of her own with Hades would be wonderful but she already had that with Mal. Still…another child running around the Underworld, watching Hades play with his younger son or daughter, Mal being able to be a big sister…

_Persephone?_

_Sorry Eileithyia. That's the second time you caught me lost in thought!_

_I don't blame you, this is a momentous occasion but we still need to know the results._

_Yes, yes of course._

Persephone shook her head and looked once more at the stick. Two bright blue lightning bolts stared back at her. Persephone couldn't believe it—she was pregnant!

_Well?_

_We were right,_ Persephone responded with a small smile as she gently grabbed the test to show Hades. Well, at least Hades would be able to get his wish. Pregnancy wasn't contagious after all.


	20. Chapter 20

Persephone couldn't help but smile softly as she watched Mal try to get Estelle to sit on the floor in Mal's room, the training book she'd purchased for Mal propped against a pillow so Mal could see the pictures inside. Normally they would have done this in the den but Estelle still made Virgil nervous and the now nine year old was spending more and more time here rather than at Vanessa's.

Not that it was a bad thing. Persephone couldn't help but smile at the thought of her home being a safe place for the children of the Isle. Plus she welcomed the privacy Mal's room provided. A conversation like the one they were about to have required a bit more privacy than a regular conversation. If Mal took the news of Persephone's pregnancy the wrong way, Persephone wanted to be sure Mal felt safe to let her emotions out rather than bottle them up.

"Hey Steph," Mal said, looking up and giving her step mother a small smile. Persephone returned it. Lately she'd noticed that Mal had been calling her 'Steph' instead of the title of 'Lady Steph'. That, plus the hug she'd gotten her first day back, never failed to make Persephone smile.

Then again, pretty much _everything_ Mal did made Persephone smile. How could she not? If it wasn't for that stupid registry, she could refer to Mal as her daughter rather than by the pointless title of 'step-daughter'. A daughter was a daughter, it didn't matter that Mal wasn't genetically Persephone's.

"Hey Mal," Persephone said, pulling herself out of her thoughts. "How's the student?"

"Great!" Mal said with a grin. "Watch!"

Looking back at Estelle, Mal cleared her throat. "Estelle, sit! _Sit_!"

Estelle gave Mal a little puppy grin before sitting down. Mal grinned and fished out a dog treat from the bag of pet supplies Persephone had brought with her.

"Good boy!" Mal said and handed Estelle's middle head the treat, which he happily took before trotting off out of the room to eat it.

" _That_ would explain the treat your father found in his shoe the other day," Persephone said with a small chuckle.

"Estelle was just saving it for later," Mal told her. "Three heads means he has to share his treats after all. Saving them makes them last longer."

"I see." Persephone said with a small nod and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her to guarantee them privacy. Not that Hades would eavesdrop but there was no guarantee Pain or Panic wouldn't snoop. "Mal, I need to talk with you."

Mal seemed to tense up a little, as she always did whenever Hades or Persephone needed to have a private chat with her. Not for the first time, Persephone cursed the fact that Maleficent had gotten her talons into Mal during her formative years.

"It's nothing bad," Persephone said gently as she picked Mal up and set her on the bed before sitting down next to her. "I wanted to tell you that I'm pregnant."

"Oh. That's nice," Mal said after a brief pause.

"Mal, sweetheart, do you actually know what that means?" Persephone asked gently. She had seemed to accept that rather quickly so Persephone didn't know if Mal truly knew what Persephone being pregnant meant.

Mal shrugged. "Uma said it's how you get a new brother or sister. Right?"

"That's right," Persephone said with a small nod.

"So congrats. Good for you."

"Thank you sweetie," Persephone said with a small smile. "Are you excited? You're going to be a big sister."

Mal shrugged again. She tended to do that a lot, Persephone thought, especially when it seemed like she was trying to hide what she really felt. "It's a little exciting I guess," she said. "But won't the baby spend most of its time in Boreadon?"

Persephone sighed and rested her hand on her stomach. She had begun to show slightly, which worried her a little as she was only about two months along. However, Eileithyia had told her that should be normal. A Godly pregnancy had a faster development time than a mortal one.

_After all Athena and Aphrodite were born as full adults,_ Persephone thought. Then again, they weren't born in the most shall we say conventional methods.

"No, sweetie, they'll have to stay here," Persephone said softly after a brief bit of silence.

Mal tilted her head slightly in confusion. "Why? They'd be _your_ kid and you're a good guy right?"

Persephone couldn't help but give Mal a sad smile. "They're also your father's child," she explained. "So they'd have to stay here with you and your dad."

Sighing, she added, "most likely they'll be born on the Isle, so they'll be classified as a VK meaning the Isle will _have_ to be their home."

"But they'd be a _baby_ ," Mal said with a frown. "They didn't _do_ anything to be classified as a VK."

Persephone couldn't help but give Mal another sad smile. None of the kids on the Isle had done anything to earn their classification either and yet they still were.

"Steph?" Mal asked after a few minutes of the two sitting in silence. "What if the baby's born in Boreadon?"

"I don't know sweetie," Persephone said softly, brushing a bit of hair out of Mal's face. "We'd have to discuss that with King Beast and your Uncle Zeus."

"King Beastie wouldn't order you to stay in Boreadon would he?" Mal asked softly. She still remembered the talk she had had with Steph, the day of Blueberry's party. Her stepmother had said that her agreement with King Beastie could have been worse, that she could have not been allowed to see either Mal or Hades.

That was the _last_ thing Mal wanted. Maleficent might not have cared for Persephone but the dragon really didn't care about anyone but the dragon. There had been more than one day where Mal caught herself wishing she had been Persephone's child instead.

"I don't know sweetheart," Persephone said softly. She doubted it since her agreement had been set before the creation of Auradon or the Isle. Beast may have been king of Auradon but even he couldn't get between an agreement of the Gods.

"If he does, couldn't you guys just reverse the agreement?" Mal asked. "Dad spends six months in Boreadon instead of you spending six months on the Isle?"

Persephone couldn't help but smile a little at the innocence in the question only a child could have. It was heartwarming to see that six years on the Isle and Maleficent hadn't removed it completely from Mal.

"That's a possibility," Persephone told her. "But we're not leaving you here."

Mal made a small face at that. "Six months in Boreadon? Without Uma, Jay or Harry? _Yuck_!"

Persephone couldn't help but shrug at that. She couldn't deny that it was likely not going to be fun, spending six months without her friends.

"Besides, according to Boreadon and that stupid registry, I'm Maleficent's kid and _only_ Maleficent's kid," Mal muttered. "Would you even be able to take me off the Isle?"

"Don't underestimate me Mali."

There was no way she would allow Mal to be alone with Maleficent ever again. Persephone had already spent five years with that-she wasn't going to make Mal go through that again.

"I'm not. But I don't want you or dad getting in trouble either." Mal said with a small shrug.

Persephone sighed. "We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it," she said softly and Mal nodded slowly.

They were silent for a few minutes before Mal spoke up again.

"When will the baby be here?"

"Around September sweetie," Persephone said with a smile.

"Oh. So they won't be here right away?"

"No honey. We'll all have some time to adjust to the idea," Persephone said gently.

Mal nodded. "Will they have magic like me?"

"Yep," Persephone said with a chuckle. "You can teach them. You two will be giving your father and I grey hairs in no time."

"Cool!" Mal grinned but the grin faltered as she paused and tilted her head. "But wait, can Gods get grey hairs?"

Persephone chuckled. "Not literally but it'll certainly feel like it."

"This'll be fun!" Mal said with a small smile starting to form at the thought. "Me and my sister!"

Persephone couldn't help but laugh a little at that. "We don't know that for sure, Mal—"

"Nope! They're a girl! I want them to be a girl!" Mal insisted, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well we won't know until they're born. They could be a boy."

"Nope! And I shall call _her_ Haille," Mal said, the grin never leaving her face.

Persephone once again couldn't help but chuckle. "You'll have to take it up with the baby sweetie."

"But it fits! It's an 'H' for dad and then her nickname could be 'Hail' which ties to you, you know weather yada yada."

"And dear, what if they're a boy?" Persephone asked. "We can't control their gender after all."

Mal went silent for a minute before speaking. "We'll see," she said softly. After all, Harry had sisters. Why wouldn't Mal?

"Well brother _or_ sister, we're all looking forward to their arrival," Persephone said with a soft smile.

Mal nodded with a small smile.

"Come on, let's go get the nursery ready," Persephone said. While there was plenty of time before the baby came, Persephone knew that most of her time was going to be spent in Auradon. With Hades running the Underworld and being a dad to Mal, the last thing Persephone wanted to do was put anymore stress on her husband.

"Can I veto pink?" Mal asked with a grin as she hurried after Persephone. "Just no! My sister is _not_ going to be a prissy princess!"

Persephone chuckled. "Of course! I was thinking maybe blue since that's your father's color with a bit of another color to accent it. What color would you like Mali?"

Mal bit her lip as she thought. "What about yellow? Or red? It goes with blue and it sort of represents you and dad. Plus, if for some reason she's _not_ a girl, it'll still work."

Persephone couldn't help but smile at that, and made a mental note to get some art books for Mal the next time she was in Auradon. "I like red," she said. "Because red and blue also make purple, so that way the baby can also know that their big sister is around too."

Mal couldn't help but smile slightly at that.

"I can't wait to meet her," Mal said softly.

"I'm very glad to hear that sweetie," Persephone said gently. It was nice to know that Mal wasn't jealous or thought that they were replacing her with the new baby. It was like she knew she would always be their child—no matter what.

"Steph?" Mal asked with a small grin. "Can I tell Uma, Harry and Jay that I'm going to get a baby sister?"

"If you'd like," Persephone said with a smile.

"Yeah," Mal nodded her head. "Uma should know she's getting a new cousin anyway!"

Persephone smiled. Mal had told them that she had told her gang about her being Hades' daughter and thus, Uma had been around a lot more. While Hades had been a little hesitant at first, it had been nice to see him developing something of a relationship with his great niece.

They needed all the family they could get on the Isle.

"Come on, let's get the nursery ready and then you can meet up with your friends," Persephone said and Mal grinned.

"What are we waiting for?"

Persephone chuckled as they headed off to one of the spare rooms that was close to the master bedroom. Hades had already set up Mal's old crib and chest of drawers; having refused to have Persephone do any heavy lifting while she was pregnant.

_"Hades, dear, I can do that. Or at least help."_

_"Nonsense. I don't want you getting hurt Steph. Besides, it's almost in position."_

_"Hades, you know nothing's going to happen to the baby right now if I do any heavy lifting and it might be better for you if you had help."_

_"Steph, Mal's off at school and Virgil's nine. I'm not asking a nine year old to help set up a nursery."_

_"Even if it's for their cousin?"_

_"Have we officially figured out whether or not that's the case?"_

_"Hades, the way you've been acting toward Virgil, he's practically family already. Does it matter if it's official or not?"_

_Hades sighed as he pushed the chest of drawers into position. "No of course not. But regardless, I'm not asking a nine year old for help with this Steph. That's my child in there, I'm going to do the work for the nursery. Just like I did with Mal."_

_"You know, I seem to remember you had Pain and Panic set up Mal's nursery. Or did you lie to me about that?"_

_"I had a three week old Mal in my arms. I trusted those two more with the nursery than I did with Mal and there was no one else here to watch Mal while I set up the nursery."_

_Persephone shook her head. "Hades, I was going to do this. You really didn't have to—"_

_"Hush. You're pregnant—I know you can still do things but you're just getting over the nausea fun part of your pregnancy. The last thing I want you to do is overexert yourself right away. Not when you're regaining your strength."_

_Persephone sighed. There was no arguing with him when he was like this. Plus, she hated to admit it but he had a point._

_"I'll need to tell Mal," Persephone said, breaking the silence._

_"She's six Steph. Do you really think she'll understand?"_

_"She understood when I told her about the agreement."_

_"If I remember correctly, she ran to her clubhouse when you told her you were leaving for Auradon."_

_Persephone sighed. "Yes well once I had the chance to explain the agreement between my mother, Zeus and King Beast, she seemed to understand."_

_"But this isn't an agreement Steph. You're telling Mal she's going to be a big sister."_

_"Believe it or not Hades, I'm aware of that. But Mal's a smart kid, she'll know we're not replacing her."_

_"She may be a smart kid but she's a kid who's had Maleficent mess with her head for five years."_

Hades had eventually agreed after Persephone had pointed out that there wasn't a way they could keep it a secret from Mal for long.

"You ready Steph?" Mal asked, holding up some of the paint Hades had worked with her to create. Before Persephone had brought the already full cans of spray paint for Mal, Hades had worked with her on creating her own. It hadn't been something Persephone generally approved of—Mal was too young to be working with those chemicals. But Hades had been with her every step of the way so it wasn't like Mal was in too much danger.

That being said, most of their attempts only produced regular paint since they had a hard time getting the paint into the empty spray paint bottles that came from Auradon. So they kept it in storage in buckets that came from Auradon.

"I'm ready Mali," Persephone said, grabbing a brush and dipping it in the paint. "I'll go high, you go low?"

Mal grinned and nodded. The two of them quickly got to work painting the room a middle of the road blue in terms of shade. Not too light as to be confused for an 'Auradon' color but not too dark that it would be too depressing for the Underworld. After all, with no natural sunlight, too dark a color would make the room feel cold and depressing.

Perfect for the Isle. Not so much for a nursery.

"Thinking back, it probably would have been a better idea to paint and _then_ have your father bring in the furniture," Persephone noted after they finished. No one could accuse them of being professionals but it was done. The walls painted a nice, neutral shade of blue with the baseboards painted a dark red.

_When I'm in Auradon, I'll pick up some red and blue fabric. Make a blanket for the baby,_ Persephone thought as she smiled slightly looking at the nursery.

"Steph? Can I go meet up with Jay, Uma and Harry?" Mal asked.

"Go ahead," Persephone said. "Just be home before dark okay?"

Mal nodded and ran off. In the distance, Persephone could hear Estelle running after her and couldn't help but smile. The bond between Mal and her dog was one that could not be replicated.

Looking back at the nursery, Persephone rubbed her stomach lightly; as if trying to reassure herself that her baby was still there.

_I promise you, you'll be able to enjoy this nursery for as long as you'll need it. Nothing is going to happen to you. You have my word—and you'll soon find out that your mom keeps her promises. Besides, you'll have a sister and father who I know won't let anything happen to you in the months I'm off the Isle._

Speaking of which, her six months were coming up weren't they? She'd have to get ready.

Odds are when she came back, she'd be dangerously close to her due date. Gods help her, she couldn't help but hope the baby would be born on the Isle. As much as her child wouldn't deserve this life, at least they wouldn't be separated from their father and sister.


	21. Chapter 21

Mal sighed as she crossed out yet another design for her tags. Ever since she had gotten the spray paint and a proper sketch book from Steph, she had been trying to design tags for her crew to put on the buildings on Hades' side of the Isle.

After all, how were the other gangs supposed to know who's territory they were entering without them?

She winced as she shifted and accidentally brushed the bruise she knew was on her left leg. Maleficent had finally found out that she was staying at Hades' most of the time. It was safe to say her reaction wasn't pretty.

_"Mal!"_

_"Yes mother?" Mal said, trying to keep her voice calm but knew it was no use. Maleficent was clearly angry about something and Mal was about to pay the price._

_"The goblins had some interesting news this morning," Maleficent stated, stalking toward her daughter. "Would you care to guess what it was?"_

_"Something idiotic as it always is?" Mal asked, trying to not show any fear. Fear was the enemy when it came to facing off against Maleficent. Mal may have only been six but it had been something she'd known for a while._

_"Normally that would be an acceptable answer but not this time," Maleficent hissed. "They told me that you've been seen multiple times on that so called God's side of the Isle, near the Underworld. Why?"_

_Mal swallowed to try to remove the pit in the back of her throat. She had figured that Maleficent would find out, she just didn't think it would be so soon. "Am I not allowed to spend time with my father, mother?"_

_That had been the wrong thing to say as Mal had been met by the back of Maleficent's hand, but it was light compared to what might have occurred if Mal had said she was Hades' errand rat. The slap had been so powerful that Mal had been knocked down from the force. She bit her lip to keep the tears prickling in the corners of her eyes at bay._

_Her father might have said that no one was going to judge her for crying but she knew crying would only make Maleficent madder. The dragon may not have had her powers but Maleficent didn't need magic to make Mal's life a living hell._

_"Your…that weakling is nothing but trouble. You honestly think he cares about you? All he's waiting for is a chance to destroy what we've built! Remember Mal, he walked out and never looked back."_

_"But, mother, he and Steph seem to really—"_

_Mentioning Steph seemed to be another mistake, as Mal quickly learned due to the scepter hitting her leg. Mal bit her lip again to make sure no tears slipped out—there was a reason most of the Isle kids had numerous sayings about the importance of not crying. You cry, you die was the most popular, and was the most likely to ring true._

_"Do you think I care about that tart? The so called Goddess who thinks she's better than the Isle her family helped create? All she's waiting for is a chance to have a child with Hades."_

_The one thing Maleficent could claim that Steph could not, Mal thought. However, Mal knew that wasn't the case anymore. Steph was pregnant with Mal's sister. Oh sure there was no way of knowing until the baby was born but Mal just knew she was getting a sister._

_After all Harry had a little sister. Uma had a little sister since Celia had been born a couple weeks prior. Jay didn't have a sister but he had a cousin—Jade. They weren't exactly the closest but family still meant something on the Isle. Hell, Freddy boy of all people had a sister—granted Claudine was the most timid thing known to man but she was still his sister._

_Honestly, there were times Mal wondered how people like Claudine and DeVil survived on the Isle being as timid as they were. Granted DeVil at least had an excuse, being about four or so._

_Maleficent had resumed ranting about Persephone and Hades and their lack of a 'true' child. Mal had taken the opportunity to back out of the room. She may have been six but she wasn't an idiot. Persephone was safely off the Isle but that didn't mean Mal should blab to Maleficent._

_After all, Persephone would be back at some point and the last thing Mal's sister needed was Maleficent on her case. Of course, even if that happened, Mal would be there to protect the little Cerberus pup._

"Hey," Uma said, bringing Mal out of her thoughts as her cousin walked up the stairs and into the clubhouse.

"Hey," Mal said with a nod, looking up at the teal haired girl. "Thought you'd be at your dad's?"

Uma shook her head. "Celia won't stop crying ever since Lady Tremaine dropped her off, insisting having her lowered Anastasia's chances at a favorable partnership. I _told_ you the whelp would be useless."

"You know if anyone but you called her a 'whelp', they'd need to be fished out of the harbor." Mal said, ducking her head back down to get back to work on the tag, starting a new attempt at a sketch. Honestly, she didn't really care about Lady Tremaine's opinion on Anastasia's partner—everyone on the Isle knew about how the older woman had practically shoved the red head toward Ratcliffe who then left her high and dry after Anthony was born.

Not that it bothered the young Tremaine boy. No, if Mal had to hear him insist people call him 'Lord Tremaine' one more time…well let's just say Blueberry was going to get a break from being their smoke bomb target for a while.

"Of course! Only I get to complain about my sister!" Uma said as she plopped on the bed next to Mal. "Whatcha sketching?"

"A tag design for our territory," Mal said, glaring slightly in annoyance as the bounce from the mattress made her pencil slip and caused her to have to reach for the eraser. "Freddy boy and his crew keep invading and while we can take him, I'd rather he have a visual of who's territory he's in. Put the fear of the god he keeps touting in him before we crush him."

"Just Uncle Hades' side of the Isle?" Uma asked. "You'd think you'd want to do one for Maleficent's side too. After all Blueberry's on that side of the Isle and Jay's dad is in Maleficent's gang."

Mal flipped to a previous page and tore it out of her sketch book to show it to Uma. "Maleficent's side was easy. Just do her outline and green flames with something about evil. Play up her ego, stuff like that. I've got one for Jafar too—his is a bit more fun. I've got a red genie and then I've also got a giant snake."

"So what's the issue with the tag for Uncle Hades' side?" Uma asked, setting the page Mal handed her to the side.

"I don't know if I want to go with blue flames or a Cerberus," Mal sighed, leaning over to pet Estelle who had looked up upon Mal mentioning the word 'Cerberus'. "Plus I can't really use anything about evil. Dad's not evil. He's…he's more of an anti-hero than anything else. At least compared to the villains around here."

"Mal, Uncle Hades stole a baby and tried to then _kill_ said baby."

"Scar killed his brother, Evil Queen poisoned Snow White, Maleficent had originally cursed Aurora to _die_ and we're supposed to be hot and bothered because my dad had his minions steal a baby and couldn't even properly finish the job? As for his deal with Jerkules, it's what my dad does. Not to mention he kept his side of the deal—twenty four hours without powers, if nut-Meg got hurt it was null and void. Meanwhile, Wonderbreath makes the deal to stay in the Underworld if he can save Meg. Where is he now? In Boreadon, not looming around here."

Uma paused and then nodded. "Good point. Uncle Hades may be one of the more powerful villains on the Isle but he's not the most evil."

"Exactly," Mal nodded. "If dad was evil, like Maleficent levels of evil, I don't think he'd put up with Virgil as much as he does."

"Your dad really is loyal to his minions," Uma nodded. "Like my mom is to Flotsam and Jetsam."

"I swear if you start calling Celia your little 'poopsie' I've lost all respect for you as my cousin."

"If that happens Mal, just chuck me off the Isle to Boreadon because I've clearly become a prissy pink princess pondering for my pampered prince."

"Nice wordplay there."

"It _was_ nice wasn't it?"

The two girls chuckled and Mal shook her head. "I guess you could say dad's ruthless. He did spend eighteen years working toward one goal, not caring who got hurt along the way—even his own family."

"But like you said, he's loyal. To his minions at least and his kid," Uma said with a smile as she nudged Mal's shoulder.

"Hey! No nudging while the pencil is on the sketch pad!"

"I nudged your left shoulder! You're right handed!"

"That's still nudging!"

Uma shook her head and leaned forward to pet Estelle who was curled up by the girls' feet.

"How's Aunt Steph doing?" Uma asked, scratching Estelle behind the ears. "She's in Boreadon right now right?"

"Yeah," Mal nodded. "She says she's doing okay. Honestly, after the constant nausea she had at the beginning, I don't know how it could be worse. If Uncle Zeus could give birth to Athena then how bad could it be?"

Uma chuckled. "From the swear words I learned when Celia was born, it's no high tide."

"Anastasia's a mortal though. Steph's a _Goddess_. Besides Harry says worse than _anything_ Anastasia could say."

"A Goddess that will be on the Isle that's surrounded by a magical barrier."

"She still has full access to her powers though."

"She's the Goddess of Vegetation. What good would her powers do her here?"

Mal shrugged. She was trying to look on the positive, to try to ignore the voice in her head that sounded like Maleficent.

_Everything is going to change once the baby's born. Your weakling of a father can only devote so much of his attention to one child—which one do you think it's going to be? The one who's fully a God or the one who's half the woman he hates?_

"Ruthless yet loyal."

"Huh?" Mal asked, pulling herself out of her thoughts and looking over at Uma.

"That could be the words for your tag on Uncle Hades' side of the Isle. Ruthless yet loyal."

Mal nodded. "I like it—it fits dad almost too well. But what about the image?"

"Why not both?" Uma asked. "A Cerberus surrounded by blue flames? That way, it's similar to Maleficent's."

Mal nodded before sighing. "Except the moment I spray this, I'll be announcing to the Isle that I'm dad's daughter. He doesn't want me dealing with the target it could put on my back hence why you, Jay, and Harry are the only ones who know."

Uma was quiet for a moment. It was a real conundrum since they _needed_ a way to keep the other gangs out of their territory but the villains of the Isle weren't dumb. Well maybe Gaston was but others weren't. They'd be able to connect Mal walking around with a Cerberus to her spraying a tag with blue flames and a Cerberus on it.

"Teach me."

"What?"

"Teach me how to spray paint," Uma said. "That way, _I'll_ do the tag. Everyone knows my mom is Uncle Hades' niece. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch if people saw me spray painting a tag with Uncle Hades' logo on it."

"I don't know Uma," Mal said as she bit her lip. She wasn't going to lie, she liked the idea of spray painting being _her_ thing. Art may have been toeing the line at being something a prissy pink Boreadon princess would be into but Mal couldn't help it. She loved sketching and drawing and spray painting….it felt _good_ being decent at something that _wasn't_ evil.

She could never say that out loud though. She may only be six but she knew the score on the Isle. Besides, she was seen as _Maleficent's_ daughter—and Maleficent would never be caught dead with a sketch book in her hands.

"I'm not going to steal your thing if that's what you're worried about," Uma said, rolling her eyes and not for the first time since Mal had known Uma the purple haired girl was left wondering if her cousin could read minds. "You can keep graffitiing random stuff all over the Isle and sketching to your heart's content. Heck you can even spray paint another tag—maybe an octopus with the words 'we roll with the tide' near the docks just as another reminder for Freddy boy. But _you're_ the one worried about people finding out about you being Uncle Hades' daughter. This is a win win—we get the tag up there and no one finds out."

Mal sighed. "Sometimes I really hate it when you're right."

"Really? I kinda like it."

"Of course you do," Mal chuckled as she put the torn out page back in her sketchbook, closed it, and hid it under the mattress. She had another book in her room in the Underworld but it wasn't worth the risk of carrying the sketchbook in the open.

Oh sure she might be able to play it off like it was a spell book the first time someone caught her with it. But as mentioned before, the villains of the Isle weren't dumb. If word got back to Maleficent or the dragon caught her with the sketch book…well Mal knew what would happen. The sketchbook would probably be turned to ash and Mal would be taught another 'lesson'.

Thankfully, no one but her crew, Steph and her dad knew about the clubhouse so she knew her sketchbook was safe.

"I'm serious Mali. Teach me. We can do it at Uncle Hades so no one needs to know it's your design."

"I already said yes, stop pressing."

"Sometimes you can never tell with you." Uma said as they got up. "Are we doing it now or…?"

"Well we can do it today but I figured while we're here, we'd get a sparring match in," Mal said with a smirk.

"Oh so you feel like losing today?"

"Hey, you're sleep deprived. I think I could actually win this time!"

"Ha! In your dreams, cuz!"

"At least I'm getting dreams!"

"Not for long. Once Aunt Steph has her baby, you'll be joining me in the lack of sleep club."

Mal chuckled and tossed Uma her sheathed sword. "Just draw your sword Uma. The sooner you do, the sooner you can lose and the sooner I'll be able to teach you how to spray paint."

Uma chuckled and unsheathed her sword just as Mal did the same. The two cousins smirked before the sound of clanging steel broke the silence. This was how Harry and Jay found them about half an hour later, still going strong.

"Why am I not surprised?" Harry asked, shaking his head.

"Because you know our captains well," Jay chuckled. "I'd say we should spar too but then we run the risk of running into them."

Harry nodded. They all knew it was better to start two spars at the same time—that way each of them could have their own area and not risk bumping into each other.

Having to explain an injury they got from sparring to their parents would not be fun.

"You meet your dad's quota?" Harry muttered and Jay nodded.

"Just barely," Jay muttered back. "But I still made it."

"Good. You know I'd have snuck you onto the ship if Jafar locked you out of the house again."

"Thanks Harry but I would have just come to the clubhouse. The weather hasn't been too bad and you or Uma would have probably been here anyway."

Mal normally would have been at the clubhouse too but ever since she revealed the news about her father, she'd been spending her nights in the Underworld—or her once a week night at Maleficent's.

Jay frowned as he noticed the mark on Mal's face. "Harry, is that a trick of the light or—"

"No, I see it too Jay."

"Who do you think—?"

"Who do you think is brave enough to slap the girl the Isle knows as Maleficent's daughter? _Maleficent_. Yesterday was Mal's 'appearance' day after all. The dragon must have finally caught on that Mal's been spending her time around Lord Hades."

"But Mal's been Lord Hades' errand rat for at least a _year_."

"Maleficent isn't the most attentive of mothers," Harry muttered before sighing. "Hey, are…are you going to be okay? This week…"

"I'll be fine Harry," Jay sighed. They were coming up on the three year anniversary of his mother's death. Jay wasn't sure how Harry knew but assumed Mal had told them at some point once Jay joined the crew. "I'll probably be spending a lot more time around the clubhouse though. Dad seems to get worse around this time of the year."

Harry nodded. "Captain papa's the same. Though Harriet always makes a fuss because it's also the little runt's birthday."

Jay nodded. Harry did _not_ care for his little sister—though Jay knew that if anyone else said anything about CJ or went after her, Harry'd be the first one leading the charge to defend the younger girl.

Their families may have been horrible but they were still _blood_.

The sound of a sword crashing to the ground broke the silence and the two boys looked in shock as Uma stood empty handed.

"I won?" Mal gasped but then laughed as the realization sunk in. "I won!"

"You got lucky," Uma scoffed but with a small smile on her face. "If I wasn't sleep deprived from the whelp—"

"All's fair in sparring Uma," Jay chuckled as he walked up. "Congrats Mal."

"Thanks Jay," Mal said as she put away the sword. "But I can still beat you all the way to Boreadon and back."

"Hey I've gotten better!"

"Jay, _Celia_ could probably beat you and she can't even walk yet!" Mal chuckled. "Heck, Steph's baby could probably beat you."

"Okay, I'm not _that_ bad! I've beaten you a couple of times and I've come close to beating Harry!"

"Close is not a win," Harry chuckled. "Ah don't feel bad Jay. We've got more experience than you is all."

"Which considering you're a year older than us is not something we get to say often," Mal chuckled. "What are you two doing here? I thought you'd be out putting the fear of the Gods in Freddy boy and his Angels?"

"Well we did. Then we got bored and wanted to see where our captains were," Harry said. "At first we thought you'd be out pelting Blueberry with some more smoke bombs—"

"But there were no ear piercing shrieks so we dismissed that about fifteen minutes after we came up with it," Jay chuckled. "So the next option was to come here."

"Want to go grab a bite at Lord Hades'?" Harry asked. "I think Smee's working today."

"I don't know Harry," Mal said with a sigh. "The Boreadon shipment is late. Again. I wouldn't want to cause dad to run low on supplies that could help feed other kids."

"What if we all share an order?" Uma suggested. "That way, we're not taking up the wares _and_ we still get something to eat."

"What about your—"

"I'm your cousin. We can do that any day."

Mal nodded. "Well, if we're all good with sharing a dish, I'm down with grabbing a bite at my dad's."

"Great!" Jay grinned and Mal grabbed Estelle, hooking the leash back on him. The crew quickly made their way to the restaurant, the girls slightly ahead of the boys as Harry and Jay kept an eye out for any possible attackers.

They may have only been six and seven but they would still protect their captains. They were loyal to their core after all.


	22. Chapter 22

Time passed, as time often does. Another birthday had come and gone for Mal, this time with a small party where Uma, Jay and Harry spent the day with her, her dad and Virgil. It had been nice, being able to spend the day with her cousin and friends-plus they had _finally_ confirmed that Virgil was in fact Hades' nephew through Vanessa. Persephone had done a little digging since she was over across the bridge. Poor kid had almost passed out when Hades told him but Virgil _always_ seemed close to passing out so there was really nothing new there.

Honestly, Panic probably was more nervous than Virgil was though to be fair Virgil wasn't the one married to Lord Hades' niece. Mal didn't _truly_ understand it but she knew Virgil was her cousin. That was easy enough to understand.

It hadn't taken much in the way of persuading the boys to put Virgil under the crew's protection. Sure they were a little iffy at first considering Virgil was a year older than Jay but, as Mal reminded them, Virgil was jumpier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. That, plus the fact that he was a minion's kid, made him a prime target for gangs like Freddy boy's.

Uma had easily backed Mal up-the daughter of the Sea Witch stood by their motto of _Ruthless yet **Loyal**_. If there was _anyone_ Uma was going to be loyal to, it was her crew and her family. Besides, any extra reason to go after Freddy boy was a positive in both their eyes.

School continued on but Mal paid it no mind. The only purpose of Dragon Hall was to teach kids how to be evil.

Mal though enjoyed her private lessons with her father, where she learned to harness her magic and made sure she at least had some control over it. They couldn't do any advanced lessons—mainly because of the barrier but also because Hades didn't want to risk Mal getting hurt.

With no proper doctors on the Isle, it wasn't worth the risk.

The private lessons, though, meant Hades soon learned about the 'lessons' Maleficent had taught Mal. To say the Lord of the Underworld was furious would be an understatement. Mal still remembered the rant her dad had gone on when he saw the mark Maleficent had made when she'd slapped Mal.

_"Mal? What's that?"_

_"My face?" Mal told him, aware that it wasn't what he had meant._

_"Don't be cute Mali." Hades told her, picking her up and sitting her on the sofa. "How'd you get that mark on your face?"_

_Mal shrugged, knowing that anything she said would just mean a worse 'lesson' from the dragon when she eventually found out. Because she always did._

_"Mal, did Maleficent do that to you?" Hades asked gently, trying to keep his temper under control. Mal didn't need him ranting about smiting his ex wife. At least not right now. That didn't mean that when Mal wasn't in the room Hades wasn't going to let it rip._

_Mal sighed. "She's the only one who could do it," she muttered. "Everyone else is terrified about potentially upsetting her to ever lay a hand on me. Freddy boy being the obvious exception but he's just a few bricks shy of a full load to borrow a saying from Steph."_

_Hades sighed and bit back the tidal wave of curses dying to come out of his mouth. Those were things Mal definitely didn't need to hear-though he was sure she already had. Most adults on the Isle didn't care if there were kids around when they let loose with their curses and swears. "Let me get you some ice, it'll help ease the pain," he told her._

_"I've had this for a day," Mal shrugged. "Besides dad, I'm a VK. Pain is what we're used to."_

_"My daughter doesn't have to be," Hades said gently before walking into the kitchen to get the ice. Satisfied he was out of Mal's earshot, he growled as he opened the fridge to try to get a bit of a barrier._

_"GODS FREAKING DAMN YOU MALEFICENT! DID YOU AIM FOR THE FACE ON PURPOSE? WAS IT A WAY OF TAUNTING ME? KNOWING I CAN'T COME AFTER YOU OR THE WHOLE ISLE'LL KNOW MAL'S MINE! I SWEAR TO WHATEVER GOD THOUGHT GIVING YOU A CHILD WAS A GOOD IDEA, YOU'LL PAY FOR TOUCHING A SINGLE HAIR ON **MY** DAUGHTER'S HEAD!" _

_"Dad? Screaming into the fridge doesn't do much to block out the sound," Mal said dryly as Hades made his way back to the den._

_"You weren't supposed to hear that," Hades said as he handed her a towel full of ice._

_"And yet I did," Mal said with a shrug as she put the ice on the mark on her face. "I've lived with the dragon for six years dad, I'm used to it by now."_

_"Excuse me Mali, but I have to go kill a dragon."_

_"No! Dad, that's what she wants!" Mal exclaimed as Hades stood back up, presumably to do just that or at least confront his ex-wife. "Just ignore her. It's what I do-it's why Jay, Uma and Harry and I set up the club house in the first place. Maleficent may run the Isle but she doesn't know about the club house. It's the one place on the Isle she doesn't have spies."_

_"Mal, if you think I'm just going to sit by and-"_

_"What's stopping her from finding a way to file a report to Boreadon if you confront her?" Mal shot back and Hades sighed. She was right._

Hades hadn't gone to confront Maleficent after that but he _did_ keep a close eye on Mal. Any new scrape, bruise or cut was immediately spotted and treated to the third degree-until Mal reminded him that she was friends with two boys and Uma. Roughhousing was kinda going to happen whether he liked it or not.

As the days dragged into weeks, Mal couldn't help but wait in anticipation for the day when Steph would arrive back on the Isle. It would be likely that Steph wouldn't have Mal's new sister but it would be close. Oh, Mal couldn't wait to see little Haille and teach her all the important things—how to sneak things from under people's noses, how to sword fight, how to make the perfect smoke bomb and how to best Freddy boy in a verbal sparring match.

Not that Mal would _ever_ let Freddy boy get close to her sister but if he did, Haille would need to be able to shut him down. No sister of Mal's was going to be lacking in sarcastic wit after all! Besides, if Freddy _did_ touch a hair on her sister's head, well then Mal would gladly introduce him to his precious Hellfire!

However, one grey September day, Mal's whole world was going to change even if she didn't know it yet. Quickly making her way to the Underworld as school let out, Mal grinned as Estelle greeted her at the door.

"Hey boy," she said, petting the Cerberus' right head as the middle and left ones tried licking her face. "Where's dad?"

Estelle gave a small yip and grabbed his leash, which was in a basket near the front door, with the mouth of his left head.

"Oh you want to go on a walk? Okay boy but first I want to say hi to dad. He'll freak out if he doesn't see me since it's not an appearance day at the dragon's," Mal said. "I think Steph comes back today too. I don't want to miss her!"

Estelle yipped again and wagged his tail, whether in excitement over Persephone coming home or just from the excitement of seeing Mal no one knew.

A small commotion near the portal room caught Mal's attention and she scurried over, with Estelle trotting after her. In the portal room, Mal saw a sight that delighted her to her core. Steph was back! She was currently hunched over, though, and being propped up by her dad. It almost looked like she was in pain but that was impossible right? Steph was a _Goddess_ after all!

"Steph!" Mal exclaimed with a smile, making her way into the room to properly greet her step mother. Estelle poked his noses in through the doorway and gave his little doggy smile at seeing Persephone as well.

"Mal, I know you're happy to see Steph but let's not give her a hug just yet," Hades said before turning back to Persephone, his tone low and a little worried. "You're _sure_ your water broke just before you—"

"Hades, I can assure you I'm not in the habit of wetting myself. The baby's coming!"

"Okay, okay," Hades said, gently rubbing her back as a contraction hit. Turning toward the door, Hades frowned as he saw that Mal was still there. _She shouldn't be seeing this,_ he thought. _The thought of Steph in pain would traumatize her and I'm sure this isn't the end of the contractions._

"Mali, run and get either Lady or Anastasia Tremaine. They'll be the best ones to help right now," Hades said, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. She didn't need to be scared by this.

"But dad, can't I help?"

"You can help by getting the person I asked for, Mal," Hades said, a tiny bit of his stress seeping into his tone by the fact that Mal was still there. Why did she have to be so stubborn?

"But—"

"Mal, _go_!" Hades snapped, and regretted it the instance he saw the slight look of hurt on Mal's face before her walls went back up. She turned and left, Estelle by her side as always. Hades sighed and turned back to Persephone.

"Let's get you to our room, okay?" Hades suggested. "You shouldn't be on your feet right now."

"You shouldn't have snapped at her," Persephone said as they slowly made their way to the bed. Thankfully their room was only across the hall from the portal room so Persephone didn't have far to walk. "She only wanted to help."

"I know, and I'll apologize to her once all this is over," Hades promised.

"All this," Persephone chuckled as she laid down on the bed. "It's only the birth of your kid but sure, let's refer to it as 'all this'."

"Sorry, sorry. Bad choice of words," Hades sighed and gently kissed the top of her head. "How are you feeling?"

"Better since that contraction passed," Persephone said, her brow lightly tinged with sweat from the contraction. Hades grabbed a cloth and dabbed away the sweat as gently as he could. "Eileithyia had warned me that giving birth might be harder on the Isle than it would be on Olympus or even in Auradon. I mean, I don't know how she knows what giving birth on the Isle is like since we're the only Gods who've stepped foot here-"

"Well you're going to be _fine_ okay?" Hades said, grabbing her hand as another contraction hit. That turned out to be a mistake as Persephone gripped as though her life depended on it. _Oh sweet Zeus, Steph, you're going to break my hand if you squeeze any harder! Mal, where are you?_

Meanwhile, the seven year old in question was furiously making her way toward Curl Up and Dye; the most logical location for either Lady Tremaine or her eldest daughter to be. While they may not have had a medical system on the Isle, they did have the Tremaines—somehow the noble women had taken it upon themselves to become midwives on top of running the only hair salon on the Isle.

Maybe Lady Tremaine did it in an effort to make a suitable match for her daughters, maybe they did it so that if they were ever given a chance to get off the Isle they would be looked on more favorably than others. Mal honestly didn't care.

_Why would dad do that? Just yell at me like that? I could have helped! Instead he just tossed me out of the room like I was Estelle chewing on his slipper._

Mal shook her head. She would be able to talk to her dad once all this was over. Right now, she needed to focus on getting one of the Tremaines.

"Hello?" Mal called out as she stepped into Curl Up and Dye. Estelle stayed outside, mainly because Lady Tremaine hated dogs. If she was there, and saw Estelle, it wouldn't matter that Estelle was a Cerberus. She would have refused to help and Steph would have been up the creek.

"Mal?" Anastasia Tremaine asked, looking at her from behind the counter, and Mal sighed inwardly in relief. Anastasia wouldn't waste time needing Mal to play to her ego before she would agree to help. "Does someone need assistance?"

Mal nodded. "It's Lady Persephone. I don't know what's wrong but Lord Hades told me to get either you or your mother."

Mal didn't need to told it was more than likely a better idea to play up the errand rat angle than reveal to Anastasia that Hades was Mal's father.

"I didn't realize Lady Persephone was pregnant," Anastasia gasped before grabbing a bag from behind the counter. Ducking into the back for a second, Mal could hear her instruct Anthony to watch the shop while she ran out.

Mal held back a snort as she followed Anastasia out of the shop and, grabbing Estelle, showed her the way to the Underworld. The young girl had to give Anastasia credit—she didn't react upon seeing Estelle. Then again, they had a time crunch. Her sister was coming and she wasn't going to wait for Anastasia to dilly dally.

"Lord Hades?" Anastasia called out as they entered the Underworld once more, the journey made in silence.

"In here!" Hades called from his room, all the way at the end of the hall. "Anastasia, thank Gods. I—"

"No need to explain, just tell me how far apart the contractions are," Anastasia said as she walked into the master bedroom. Mal tried to follow but was held back by her dad.

"Not this time Mal," Hades said gently. "You wait outside okay? You don't want to see this."

"But—"

"No Mal," Hades said, more sternly before shutting the door. Mal stared in shock before sinking down to the floor in front of the door to Hades and Persephone's room. The door was thick enough that, if people kept their voices down, Mal couldn't hear what was being said.

However, when one was giving birth they weren't likely to keep their voices down. Mal wrapped her arms around Estelle's neck and buried her face into his fur; trying to block out the sound of the occasional screams of pain coming from the closed room.

_Why is my sister doing this?_ Mal thought. _Steph's in so much pain because of her! But…I mean she's a baby right? She doesn't mean to do this. Besides, I'm getting a sister. Someone who can look up to me!_

However, Mal couldn't help the tears that leaked from her eyes as Steph's screams of agony rang through the Underworld. For some reason, even though screams like Steph's weren't uncommon on the Isle, it hurt more when it was Steph.

_I could help! I may only be only half God but that's better than nothing! Hail better appreciate what Steph is going through for her! If this is what having kids is like, then I'm never having them!_

The hours trickled by, with Mal still sitting guard outside Hades' bedroom door; waiting for news like Estelle begged for scraps.

_Why would he let you know anything?_ A nasty little voice sounded in her head. _After all, this is his and Steph's kid being born. A full God, someone who wasn't tainted by the dragon. A kid that dad can raise from birth and not worry that her mother will want her back because her mother lives with him._

Mal shook her head to banish the nasty thoughts. _Dad would be back to normal when Hail's born,_ Mal thought. _Why would…_

Mal's thoughts trailed off as the door opened for the first time in hours.

"Mali?" Hades said gently and Mal looked up from Estelle as she took in the lack of screams. Instead, a faint coo of a baby took their place. It was hard to believe…after all this time, Haille was _finally_ here!

"Is my sister here?" Mal asked, standing up and looking at Hades with hope filled eyes. Hades gave him a small smile. "I'm a big sister now right?"

"That's right Mal. You want to come say hello to your little brother?" Hades asked and Mal blinked. Did…did he just say _brother_?

_Maybe the word for sister in Greek sounds like brother in English?_ Mal thought as she walked into the room.

"Mal," Persephone said with a small smile, holding a bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. It was safe to say that Mal's world shattered into a million pieces. Instead of a sister who would look up to her, she would have a brother who would replace her.

_After all, when you think about the Gods, who's the first who come to mind? The Big Three—dad, Uncle Zeus and Uncle Poseidon. You don't tend to think of the Goddesses,_ the nasty little voice was back. _Why would dad want anything to do with you now that he has a son? Not just any son but a son who was full God? Someone who could easily break out of here once he was old enough-after all, what's fairy magic compared to the magic of the Gods?_

"Mal?" Hades' voice broke through her thoughts and Mal looked up at her father. Hades looked at Mal with a kind smile that had hints of concern hidden with it. "Go on, say hello to your brother Hadie."

Hadie. It was even worse knowing the little whelp's name. He was going to be a Hades clone…just like Mal was a Maleficent clone.

_I will not look at him. I'm not going to give dad the satisfaction!_ Mal thought as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room with Estelle on her tail—unaware of the stunned looks her father and step-mother were giving her.

Marching into her room, Mal waited until Estelle was safely in before slamming the door behind her. The sounds of Hadie's cries pierced the air, only slightly muffled by the door. Flinging herself onto her bed, Mal grabbed her pillow and jammed it over her head as to block out the wails.

_Why did he have to come? Life was perfect before—almost like getting to see the sun, like in Steph's stories!_

_Hey, it might not be so bad. He's the shiny new thing and then dad will be yours all over again. Just watch—dad's never let you down before._

_Unless you count the fact that he left you to live with the dragon for five years until he finally got around to telling you he was your father._

_The whelp will just ruin everything!_

Mal shook her head. Whelp was Uma's nickname for Celia, and even now it had become more of a term of endearment rather than the cruel nickname it had started out as. No, Mal needed her own way to show her displeasure toward… _him._

Hatchling? No that was too close to dragon…which he wasn't. No relation to Maleficent at all. Just another way he blotted out the sun of her life. Like a…cloud.

Mal smirked as she thought of the perfect way to reference her little replacement. After all, he ruined her life like a lightning bolt ruins a sunny day…and what brought lighting, at least according to Steph?

Storm clouds.

That was the _perfect_ way to describe the little beastie. As a storm cloud-and that's all he would _ever_ be!


	23. Chapter 23

Mal groaned as the little storm cloud's cries continued to ring through the Underworld. It had only been about three weeks or so but the little brat was as obnoxious as could be. What was worse was the fact that he seemed to take up all of Steph's time. Mal hardly got to see or spend time with her step mother since the little storm cloud was born.

_What did you expect? She's his mother!_ Mal thought as she tore yet another page out of her sketchbook, balling it up and tossing it in the corner where it joined the growing pile of pages containing ruined tag idea after ruined tag idea. The constant crying was making it hard to concentrate, and the interrupted sleep made drawing difficult since Mal kept messing up making it so the drawing didn't turn out right.

She hated wasting the paper but at least it could be used as fuel if they ever needed to make a fire. Plus the page had been filled to the brim with tag attempts, there was almost no white space remaining. If she _could_ find a spot to attempt a tag, it wouldn't have the space needed to be good.

Uma was right after all, little siblings were useless. At least Uma didn't have to worry about Celia replacing her though.

_Dad did try though,_ Mal thought as she started on a fresh tag. _The day the storm cloud was born._

Mal shook her head. She hated thinking about that day...the day her life got turned upside down and not in a good way.

_"Mali?" Hades called, knocking lightly on Mal's closed door a few hours after Hadie was born. Mal laid on her side, her back facing the door. She really didn't want to see her dad right now. She didn't want to hear the news that she'd been replaced. It'd been bad enough just seeing her replacement, she didn't want to have it said out loud._

_"Mal, come on. I just want to talk. You were so excited when Steph was pregnant, what changed?"_

_"You promised me a sister," Mal muttered under her breath. Later on, when Mal looked back on this time of her life, she would realize that neither Steph nor Hades ever actually said the storm cloud would be a girl. But in the moment, all Mal cared about was the fact that her dad had a son all his own._

_Hades sighed. "I'll leave you alone for now Mal. But I do want to talk to you. I'll see you in the morning okay?"_

_Mal stayed quiet as she listened to his footsteps grow softer and softer, the only noise other than Estelle's scratching at the door. She knew her boy wanted to go see her dad, she did too. But...she didn't want to get hurt twice in the same day._

_Is this what Maleficent meant by love is weakness? Could...could the dragon actually be right about something? Mal thought as the storm cloud's cries broke through her thoughts and Mal grabbed a pillow to cover her ears._

_"Stormy please...rest your head. Now it is, time for bed. Please stop, don't you see? I want Steph and dad for me," Mal sang softly, pressing the pillow to her ears to block out the wails and closed her eyes as she imagined a world where it was just her, her dad and Steph._

_A world where it hadn't been the worst day of Mal's life-and considering how many bad days she'd had in the seven years she'd been alive that was saying something. After all, good days weren't exactly common with Maleficent as your birth giver._

Estelle whimpered as the little storm cloud's cries seemed to grow louder. Mal rolled her eyes—she knew what that meant.

_Here comes dad, with another attempt for me to bond with my replacement,_ Mal thought with an inward scoff as she brought her sketch book higher and closer to her face as if to act as a shield. _No thank you! I can stay in this room for as long as I possibly can dad! One of the only good things about growing up around Maleficent: hunger doesn't bother me!_

After all, was skipping lunch really all that bad when the other option was spending time with… _him_?

_Gods, a sister. All I wanted was a sister and you couldn't even do that! Instead dad had to have a bouncing baby brat! Was this some punishment from Zeus, for being part Maleficent?_

"Mal?" Hades' voice came from the other side of Mal's closed door, and Mal was surprised not to hear the usual crying. She hadn't even heard the cries fade as her dad walked away from the door the first time he'd come by. Guess she'd been in the zone so to speak. "Hadie's gone down for a nap if you'd like to join us for lunch?"

Mal grinned and hopped off the bed, putting her sketchbook away as to avoid it getting ruined somehow. While she had been prepared to skip lunch to avoid spending time with the storm cloud, she wasn't a complete fool. Nothing was worth skipping her father's cooking.

The little beastie might have replaced her in the family but there was _no_ way she was missing out on lunch because of the little demon. Wait no demon would be a compliment to him wouldn't it? Because of his connection to her father. Mal would have to revisit that particular insult.

"There she is," Hades grinned as Mal opened the door.

"Dad, you saw me this morning," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "You know, at breakfast?"

"Yeah well that doesn't mean I don't like seeing my daughter," Hades told her as the two of them made their way to the kitchen. "Hey, Steph brought this stuff back from Boreadon—it's a type of paste that they put on food. Supposedly adds flavor to whatever they put it on. You want to try it out for lunch today?"

Mal shrugged. Food was food after all, and why would her dad want to mess with stuff that was already good?

"I'm taking that as a yes," Hades said as he picked her up and sat her by the counter. Despite being seven, Mal still hadn't grown all that much. That being said, she wasn't going to complain. Not when it meant a rare bit of attention from her dad in this post storm cloud era of her life. "Give me fifteen minutes and then lunch will be served."

"Okay dad," Mal said with a small nod as she swung her feet, trying to find a way to amuse herself without her sketch book since she had left it in her room. She could try to practice her magic but what was the point? Her fireball never got any bigger and she couldn't practice any of the advanced stuff, not with the barrier around the Isle.

Besides, she hadn't had a private lesson with her dad in weeks. Not since the little storm cloud came around and blotted out her sun.

"Hello Mal," Persephone said as she walked into the kitchen, a tired smile on her face upon seeing the young girl.

"Hey," Mal nodded. _She always seems tired lately, though with the storm cloud always crying I guess that's to be expected. Gods why couldn't he have been born in Boreadon? Then I could have both of them all to myself and nothing would have to change. After all I'm sure Uncle Zeus or Uncle Poseidon would watch the storm cloud in the six months Steph was here-or any of the other Goddesses._

Plus she was sure that the Gods of Olympus were scrambling to make sure _he_ was brought off the Isle. They probably started as soon as they saw the registry get updated. After all, the storm cloud was the son of one of the Big Three. Perish the thought of the son of Hades living amongst villains, and in squalor! Never mind the fact that Mal was Hades' daughter; the Gods didn't know that.

To them, she was just Maleficent's daughter. Someone who probably deserved to be on the Isle.

"Steph, where'd you put the garlic paste you brought back from Auradon?"

"In the pantry dear," Persephone said and Hades went to go grab it but paused upon hearing Persephone's voice again. "No, wait, it should still be in my bag. Sorry, I meant to unpack it but with all the excitement—"

"No apology necessary Steph," Hades said, gently kissing the top of his wife's head. "Let me go and grab it. Be right back girls."

Hades left and an awkward silence grew. Truthfully, Mal hadn't really said much to Persephone since Hadie had been born. She didn't meant to, she just wanted to punish Hadie for coming and snatching her spot as dad's child.

But Persephone was almost always with Hadie. Mal honestly hated the sight, hated the look Persephone would get whenever she looked at Hadie.

_The look a mother should have when they see their kid,_ Mal thought bitterly. _Not the look of indifference or hatred Maleficent usually has. If I'm lucky, it's just a look of distain._

One gained an extensive vocabulary quickly when one had a God and the Mistress of All Evil as their parents—though Maleficent usually used hers when ranting about Auradon, Hades, the Isle, Mal and the Evil Queen; usually in that order.

Hades used his when berating Pain and/or Panic or ranting about Maleficent or Zeus.

"Mal, sweetheart," Persephone said softly, "is something bothering you?"

"I'm fine," Mal said quickly, making sure her walls went back up.

"Are you sure?" Persephone asked, giving Mal a kind smile. "It's just, we haven't really talked since Hadie was born. I want to make sure you're not feeling neglected. I remember you were so excited when I told you I was pregnant."

_Yeah well you led me to believe I was going to get a sister, someone who'd look up to me,_ Mal thought bitterly. _Not someone who was going to replace me._

"I'm fine Lady Persephone," Mal said softly, making sure to face forward and therefore missed the slight look of shock and hurt that flashed over Steph's face. She hadn't been 'Lady Steph' in ages and she had _never_ been called Lady Persephone by Mal. Mainly because Mal had had difficulty pronouncing it when they had first met.

"Mal—"

"Found it!" Hades said, walking back into the kitchen and holding up the jar of garlic paste, unknowingly diffusing the tense atmosphere that was building in the kitchen. "Why was it in your toiletry bag of all places?"

"I don't know," Persephone said, shaking her head as she turned to look at her husband. "I'm going to say going into labor might have been the main cause."

"That _would_ be a more pressing matter," Hades nodded. "Mal, are you ready to try this?"

Once again Mal shrugged though a small part of her couldn't deny the joy she felt in this. It was something the storm cloud couldn't replace her at. No matter what, _she_ would always be her dad's food tester.

_Just you wait though. Babies get older and soon dad will be using him for testing items for the restaurant. After all Ursula has Uma help out at the Chip Shoppe, why wouldn't dad have his precious son help at his restaurant? You'd be lucky to get the scraps off the brat's plate. That's if dad doesn't take back the deal and you have to go back to scrambling for food. At least you'd have Ursula's Chip Shoppe as an option. That's better than what most kids have on the Isle._

Sometimes, she really hated her thoughts. She was having a good time with her dad, why did they have to show up _now_?

"Hey Mali, do you know why eggs don't tell each other jokes?" Hades asked as he began to cook the chicken, the sizzling sound music to Mal's ears.

"Dad, it's probably because eggs can't talk."

"Nope. It's because they'd crack each other up," Hades told her and Persephone groaned.

"It's my own fault. I got him that book of 'dad jokes' the last time I was in Auradon and he's been non stop with them," she said, shaking her head.

"What do you get from a pampered cow?"

"Who pampers their cow?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Spoiled milk!"

Mal shook her head but she couldn't avoid the small smile that began to creep onto her lips. She couldn't help it; the joke was just so… _bad_ that it was hard not to find it funny in some regard.

"Ah there it is!" Hades said, smiling at the sight of his daughter's smile. "Haven't seen that around these parts in a while. I have to say it's a welcomed sight."

Mal rolled her eyes but the smile stayed on her lips.

"Hey dad?" Mal asked softly as Hades continued to work on lunch. She didn't want to push her luck with how great everything had been the past hour or so but she really wanted to know the answer to her question. "Do you…do you think we'd be able to have one of our private lessons after lunch?"

"Of course Mali," Hades nodded and Mal's smile turned into a grin. Finally, she'd be able to spend time with her dad—just her and him. No annoying little beastie to ruin anything.

"Dig in!" Hades said, handing Mal her lunch. "Garlic crispy chicken, for your enjoyment. Let me know what you think, Mal."

Mal eagerly dug in and she couldn't help but be amazed at how much _better_ it was than her dad's regular chicken. It was hard to explain, maybe it was the garlic?

"You like it?" Hades asked and Mal nodded, too focused on eating every last bit of chicken to answer.

"I think that's a yes dear," Persephone said with a smile. "You should put that on the menu in the restaurant."

"I think I just might. The other patrons might think I'm trying to poison them but then again, they thought that when I began offering chicken in the first place," Hades nodded as he and Steph dug into their lunch as well. Before long, the lunch had been consumed and one seven year old was eagerly waiting for her private lesson with her dad.

"Alright Mali, let's—"

"Excuse me, Lord Hades?" Pain spoke up, interrupting Hades and earning a glare from the Lord of the Underworld.

" _What_?"

"L-L-L"

"Speak quickly," Hades said with an eye roll. Pain wasn't _typically_ the kind to stutter but it could happen occasionally and it was more annoying than Panic's. Panic's at least had a reason, he was panicky. When Pain stuttered, all it served was fuel for Hades' urge to throw Pain out the window.

"Lord Hadie is up," Pain said and Mal's heart sank as Hades nodded. Persephone had gone down for a nap so Hades was the only parent available for Pain to go to. After all, Hades had threatened to chuck his minions into the cove if they even so much as coughed while Persephone was napping.

"I'll go get him," Hades said.

"Dad, what about—"

"We can still do it Mal. I just need to take care of Hadie first," Hades said and he walked off to the nursery where the little sun spot resided. Mal stared at his retreating form, not knowing what to do.

_First. He actually said first. See? The storm cloud's not even a month old and he's already replacing you in your dad's eyes._

Mal sighed and went back to her room, Estelle trotting behind her as usual. If this was going to be the new normal, Mal wasn't going to stick around for it.

"Guess by now I ought to know my place," Mal began to sing under her breath as she grabbed a small bag. She didn't know _why_ she was singing but it felt...right. It must be an Olympus thing. "But I won't stand by and watch myself get replaced. Dad knows how much I love him, but now he's got more important things. So I'll keep waiting in the wings."

Quickly, she tossed some clothes and her sketch book into the bag along with Estelle's supplies (food and water, dog treats, toys) before closing up the bag and tossing it over her shoulder. The lone food bowl and water bowl would have to stay behind-they were located in the kitchen and Steph and dad would definitely notice them missing. She had to get out of here before her dad came back and caught her.

_Though maybe that would just be the reason he needed to kick me out. Make more room for his precious son,_ Mal thought as she made her way to the front door; Estelle by her side as always.

"Come on boy," she said, clipping the leash to Estelle's collar. "It's clear we're not wanted here. Let's go see if the clubhouse would be a better home."

Estelle gave a small yip and the two of them slipped out of the Underworld, making their way to the clubhouse that had quickly become a second home to her and her crew.

"Guess we're going to have to get you a food and water bowl for here huh boy?" Mal asked as she sat down on the bed. The crew wasn't likely to show up today, which was good. As much as Mal cared for her crew, she didn't really want to be around anyone right now. Sighing softly, Mal conjured a small fireball and stared into the lilac flames before vanishing it.

She'd be alright. After all, she'd stayed in the clubhouse plenty of times before she found out that Hades was her dad.

_Wait, what about stopping by the restaurant?_ Mal thought. _Dad'll probably start working there more often now that I ran off, as an excuse to talk to me._

_With his bouncing baby brat? You heard him, the storm cloud comes first. Besides, you can just send Jay or Uma to make the order and bring it back to the clubhouse. Get yourself involved in a sparring match with Harry, that way you've got a believable excuse why you can't go._

Mal nodded before patting the bed for Estelle to hop up. The Cerberus did just that and rested his heads on Mal's leg.

"At least you'll never leave me boy," Mal said softly, scratching Estelle behind the ears of his middle head as she looked at the barren walls of the clubhouse. Thankfully, she had plenty of spray paint here and two sketchbooks filled with designs. It was time to get to work.


	24. Chapter 24

"You want to tell me why you're not talking to Uncle Hades?"

Mal sighed as she put the swords away from the sparring session they had just had. It had been about three weeks since she 'moved' out of the Underworld and set up in the clubhouse. She missed her home there more than she thought she would but the last thing she wanted was to watch herself get replaced.

Avoiding her dad and Steph had been easier than she thought, considering there was only one way in and out of the clubhouse and Steph _knew_ where the clubhouse was. Granted, Mal figured they didn't think she'd crawl under the bed upon hearing the gate open like a Boreadon prissy princess. But that was the rule of the Isle-always keep 'em on their toes.

Besides, they couldn't drag her back if they couldn't find her.

"I don't know what you're talking about Uma," Mal said, turning back to the task at hand.

"Yeah right," Uma scoffed. "You've been sparring with Harry more and more, to the point where we have to get the orders to go when we get lunch at Uncle Hades. Of course, whenever we get lunch at _mama's_ shop you're fine with cutting your match short."

"Seriously Uma, you're imagining things," Mal told her, plopping on the bed and petting Estelle behind the ears.

"Uh huh," Uma said, rolling her eyes. Harry and Jay had already left for the day, Harry needing to go man the counter at his father's fish shop and Jay still needed to complete the quota assigned to him by his father.

"Honestly Uma, there's nothing to—"

"So if I said let's go to Uncle Hades right now, you'd have no problem with it?" Uma asked. "Cause Aunt Steph should be back now and yet you haven't said a single thing! You normally never shut up when she gets back from Boreadon."

"She's gone and come back _twice_ since I've known her. Can you _really_ say I never shut up?"

"You know what I mean," Uma said.

Mal sighed. "Steph gave birth," she muttered, petting Estelle as if to have something to do with her hands.

"Mali, that's great!" Uma beamed. "Come on, I can't wait to meet my little cousin!"

Uma made her way to the door but paused when Mal wasn't following her. "Um, _hello_?" Uma said as she turned around. "Let's go!"

"She gave birth to a son," Mal muttered, rolling her eyes.

"So?"

"So? _So_?!" Mal exclaimed. "I wanted a sister Uma! Someone who would look up to me! Someone I could teach the important things to! But all _he_ is is a replacement."

"Mali, he will still look up to you," Uma told her. "Boy, girl, doesn't matter. Any sibling would."

Mal shook her head. "No. All _he_ is is a replacement. After all, he's _full_ God, someone who's Steph's kid and not the dragon's. Dad doesn't have to worry about the storm cloud getting taken from him if Maleficent changes her mind about raising him, like she did me."

"Okay, I'm getting the sense that you feel betrayed—"

"Yes, well, that's one of the unpleasant side-effects of betrayal," Mal muttered.

Uma sighed. "Mal, I'm going to ask you two questions okay? And give me _honest_ answers."

"We're VKs Uma. Since when do we do honest?"

"Shut up and let me talk," Uma sighed. "Okay, first question. Have you spoken to Uncle Hades or Aunt Steph about this? Second question, have you ever actually _held_ your brother?"

"No, why would I talk to them about this?" Mal asked, crossing her arms. "They're too busy with _him_. And why would I ever go near that little storm cloud?"

"Mal, when dad told me about Celia I wasn't very happy either," Uma said as she shook her head. "You were there that day in my mom's kitchen, you've listened to me rant constantly about how Celia would be useless. But when dad handed her to me, from that first moment she was _mine_ and under _my_ protection. Hadie may be a boy but he's still your sibling. Just think of him as someone who's _yours_."

"It's not the same Uma," Mal told her. "Celia wasn't a replacement, she's _just_ your sister. Why would I want to think of the storm cloud as _mine_ when all he's here to do is _ruin_ my life? For all I know, dad and Ste—Lady Persephone are getting ready to ship me back to Maleficent now that they have their _own_ kid."

"Mal, the entire time Aunt _Steph_ was pregnant, did they _ever_ even for one second make you feel like you were being replaced? No. You were involved in _everything,_ we both were—from painting the nursery to getting Aunt Steph the foods she wanted. You were there before the baby was born and when you thought he was a girl, you were _counting_ the days. I know you still have the countdown tallies on the last page of your sketchbook. For Poseidon's sake, your brother's not a replacement. He's just a sibling—but maybe it'd be better if you heard it from your dad."

Mal glared at her cousin and sat crossed legged on the bed. "I'm not going anywhere near him or the storm cloud Uma. If dad wants to replace me, that's fine. That doesn't mean I have to stick around for it. The club house is a good enough place as any to live as long as I have Estelle with me."

_Even if I do miss dad, seeing him wouldn't be worth the pain of being replaced,_ Mal thought with an inward sigh.

"Now you're just being stubborn and stupid. Maybe you're really Uncle Zeus' kid," Uma told her, grabbing Mal's arm and began to drag her toward the clubhouse steps. Uma was slightly taller than Mal even if they were both short, and Uma was prepared to use that to her advantage. "We can come back for your stuff later, don't think I didn't notice that bag underneath the bed. Estelle, are you coming?"

"Uma, let go!" Mal exclaimed as Estelle followed Uma, wagging his tail. "I told you. I'm not going back there! Not while the storm cloud is still there!"

"Thank me later Mal."

"Why would I thank you when you're asking me to accept my replacement?" Mal asked with a small glare.

"No. I'm asking you to accept your _sibling_."

"The day I recognize that storm cloud as my brother is the day we all get off the Isle!" Mal declared. "It'll never happen!"

"Mal, I'm telling you! Just talk to Uncle Hades and hold your brother just once. It might change your mind," Uma said as they made their way down the stairs.

"You're not going to let me go until I agree to this are you?"

"Nope!"

"Get used to disappointment then, Uma!" Mal exclaimed but Uma just kept dragging her cousin down the stairs and through the streets of the Isle. Mal, though, knew she would _never_ like the little storm cloud. Not just for replacing her but for all the pain he had put _Steph_ through! She would never get Steph's screams of pain out of her head!

The two of them made their way to the Underworld in silence, Mal every so often attempting to break free of the iron clad grip Uma had on her wrist. If any passersby thought this was an odd sight, they didn't comment. Not after catching sight of Estelle. You really don't stop to question someone with a Cerberus even if they were seven year olds.

Upon reaching the door to the Underworld, Uma stopped and turned to look at Mal. "Mal, I'll make you a deal," she said softly.

"Just like your mother, always a catch," Mal growled but Uma ignored her.

"You go in there and talk to Uncle Hades or Aunt Persephone and hold the baby just _once_. If nothing changes, if you still don't like him like you do right now…you can go back to the clubhouse and I'll never bring it up again."

Mal sighed. She hated to even consider being close to the storm cloud but fair was fair. "Okay," she said softly. "But don't count on anything Uma."

"Okay," Uma nodded as she led Mal into the Underworld. Mal sighed as she stepped foot into her home for the first time in weeks.

"Uncle Hades? Aunt Persephone?"

"In the den Uma!" Hades called back and Mal scowled slightly. The little sunspot must be there too unless Pain or Panic were watching him. There was no way her father would risk waking his precious son up.

"I believe I have someone who belongs to you," Uma said as she made her way into the den, tugging Mal behind her. "Mal has something she'd like to discuss with you."

"Mal?" Hades asked, looking at his daughter in shock and delight.

"Hi dad," Mal muttered, keeping her eyes on Estelle who was sitting right next to her.

"I'll leave you guys alone," Uma said, ducking into the kitchen.

"Mal?" Persephone asked, her tone gentle. She longed to rush over to Mal but didn't want to potentially scare the young girl off. "Would you like me to leave so you can talk to your father alone? Or would you like me to stay?"

Mal shrugged, still looking at Estelle who was still by her side; giving his usual puppy grin and wagging his tail. "You can do whatever you want Steph. You'll probably hear it anyway," she muttered.

Before Persephone could respond, or do anything other than smile at hearing Mal call her _Steph_ again, a small cry from the nursery could be heard. "I'll go check on Hadie," Persephone said softly.

"Right," Mal muttered, biting her lip. Of course the little storm could would have to worm his way into this too. Persephone got up and went to the nursery, leaving the father and daughter alone in the den.

The silence grew almost overpowering and Mal couldn't take it anymore. "Dad, I'm going to ask you a question and I _don't_ want you to lie to me okay?"

"Okay Mali," Hades nodded.

Sighing, Mal looked at her father for the first time since she arrived in the Underworld "Is Hadie my replacement?"

Hades wasn't going to lie, he had not been expecting that question. In all honesty, it felt like a slap to the face.

"No. Mali, of course not," Hades said, sliding off the sofa and getting down to Mal's level. "He's your brother and of course I love him very much but that doesn't mean I love you any less. Why would you think that?"

"Maybe because he's full God and not half? Maybe because he's part Steph? Maybe because he's a clean slate and isn't someone who's half psychotic dragon? Maybe because he's a _boy_? Take your pick," Mal muttered.

"Mali, trust me," Hades said with a small sigh, "none of those things matter. _You_ are my daughter and no matter how many kids Steph and I have, you are always going to be our eldest. I don't care whether you're a girl or boy Mal. I just cared that you were healthy when you were born—which you were thankfully."

Mal gave him a small smile, the unspoken truth lingering between them. If Mal hadn't been a healthy baby, who knows what Maleficent would have done to her?

"You know Steph and I have been going out of our minds, hoping you were okay and wondering if you had Estelle with you?" Hades asked gently, trying to rid the awkwardness from the room.

"Of course I had Estelle," Mal said with a shrug. "I was in the clubhouse. We have a bed there so it's not like I was sleeping on the floor or anything. As I've said before dad…you don't have to worry about me."

"And as _I've_ said before Mal, I'm your father. It's my job to worry about you, and no matter how many siblings you have, that will never change. We will _always_ love you, we will _always_ worry about you and we will _always_ care about you."

Mal sighed and crossed her arms softly over her chest. "Dad…how can you love him after what he put Steph through?" Mal asked, her voice a near whisper. "I've had her screams in my head for the past few weeks."

Hades sighed. He hadn't realized that Mal had heard Steph's screams the day Hadie was born. "Come here Mal," Hades said, opening his arms and bringing his daughter in for a hug. "The pain was Steph's body's way of making sure Hadie could be born safely. The pain was temporary but Hadie, though, is forever."

"But—"

"Mali, when you're a parent in the far, far, far, _far_ future, you'll learn that despite any pain your children put you through, you love them unconditionally," Hades told her.

"Even if they run off with their Cerberus without leaving a note?" Mal asked softly, backing up a little and breaking from the embrace to look at her dad as a little bit of her doubts began to fall away.

"Even then," Hades said with a small smile.

Mal bit her lip. "Dad, are…are you _sure_ Hadie's not replacing me?"

"Mal, I am absolutely _positive_ because you could _never_ be replaced."

Mal knew then in her heart that her father was telling the truth. Launching herself back into her father's arms, Mal whispered, "I'm so sorry dad."

"It's okay sweetheart," Hades said gently, lightly kissing the top of her head as he softly rubbed her back. "It's understandable, after all you're still going to the dragon's castle once a week and you're _seven_. With the poison she's most likely feeding you, Steph and I should have expected it. I just wish you had told us you were feeling this way before now—we could have had this talk ages ago. You were so excited when Steph told you she was pregnant."

Mal sighed. "You and Steph were always so busy with the little storm cloud…I mean Hadie that there was never a right time to have the talk," she said softly, trying to get over her feeling of resentment toward her brother. "When Steph was pregnant and I thought I was getting a sister…she'd be someone who could look up to me. Dad, when you think of the Gods, it's you, Uncle Zeus, and Uncle Poseidon that first come to mind. The 'Big Three'. _None_ of the Goddesses. I just thought…with Hadie being a boy…"

It was Hades' turn to sigh as he looked down at his daughter, still wrapped in his arms. "While the Gods are old fashioned, they are changing. You know Jerkules has a daughter? Born around the same time you were. According to Steph, Zeus won't shut up about his grandkids—both the grandson and the granddaughter. Poseidon keeps trying to get updates about Uma from Steph when he can but she hasn't given him anything since that's Uma's business. As for _me_? I just care that my _kids_ are happy and healthy. You're one of the best parts of my life Mali, of both our lives. Never doubt that."

Mal smiled slightly. "I…I really am sorry Dad. I never meant to worry you. I just…I didn't want to be around if I was being replaced."

Hades gave her a small smile as he gently continued to rub her back. "Mal, do you want to go say hello to your brother?"

"I..I don't know dad," Mal said, biting her lip. "I don't know how to hold a baby…at least not one that young. I'm more used to someone Celia's age."

"It's okay Mali, Steph and I will be there. If you want, you can sit with me and I'll help you hold him?" Hades suggested with a small smile.

Mal nodded slowly, a small smile forming on her face.

"Okay, stay right there and I'll go get them," Hades said, putting Mal on the sofa. "Be right back okay Mali?"

"Okay dad."

Hades smiled and walked over to Hadie's nursery where Steph was waiting. "Please tell me you heard all that?"

Persephone nodded quickly, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "Oh Hades. Why didn't she come to us sooner? If I had known what her wanting Hadie to be a girl so badly meant…"

"I know," Hades said gently. "But she's here now. We can show her she could never be replaced. She's our daughter."

"And she _always_ will be," Persephone said in a gentle yet firm tone. _And Maleficent has just given me another reason to rip her head off,_ she thought.

"Can you bring Hadie out?" Hades asked. "She wants to meet him but she's a bit nervous about holding him. Understandable considering I doubt Maleficent would ever willingly hold a baby or teach Mal how to do it either, so Mal's going to sit with me and I'll help her."

"Of course," Persephone smiled and picked Hadie up out of the crib. "Are you ready to go see your sister?" She asked Hadie, who cooed softly causing Persephone to smile.

"Let's go then."

They head back to the den and Hades was thankful to see Mal was still there. She hadn't left.

"Mali?" Hades asked, his voice soft. "Are you ready to say hello to your brother?"

"Okay…" Mal said, her voice as soft as her father's.

Hades went and sat down on the sofa before picking Mal up and putting her on his lap. "Be sure to mind his head," he said as Steph handed Hadie to them. "Have your arm around his head like this…that's it, good girl…and the other hand can go under his back…there you go."

Mal nodded and positioned her arms and hands the way Hades had instructed. Mal looked at her brother, trying to image him as _hers_ the way Uma had said to. Hadie stared back at her, Steph's blue eyes looking at her with a mix of innocence and curiosity shining in them. Mal had expected to still feel resentment toward Hadie but now…seeing those eyes, the eyes that had only stared at her with love and kindness, the resentment seemed to melt away as Hadie softly cooed at her.

"Hi Hadie," Mal said softly, giving him a small smile. "I'm Mal. I'm your sister."

Hadie continued to softly coo at Mal, tilting his head as he looked at her. Mal couldn't help but give a small giggle at the sight.

_Dad said I used to do that too,_ she thought as she continued to look at her brother.

"Growing up here isn't going to be easy," Mal said softly, not noticing the slightly hopeful look Hades and Persephone gave one another. "But don't worry. Me and Uma'll keep you safe—you're under _my_ crew's protection and no one messes with your big sis."

Hadie would have to deal with the natural chaos of the Isle, what with the lack of food and the never getting to leave but in terms of being evil that was something Mal could control. Her baby brother was _not_ going to be a villain. Not if she could help it.

Honestly, it was hard to believe that almost an hour ago, she was vowing that she would never like her brother. But as she looked at him now how could she not? This was her brother and if anyone tried to harm him, they'd have to answer to her.

_He's so innocent,_ Mal thought. _And hopefully he can stay that way. No. No hope necessary because he will. If Uma and I have anything to say about it, he will—and I'm sure the guys will agree too! Even if they don't, I'll just make it an order!_

Before long, Hadie started getting a little fussy. "What did I do?" Mal asked, looking at Hades with a slightly fearful look like he was going to get mad. _Gods, did I just ruin everything_? Mal thought.

"Nothing at all sweetheart," Hades said reassuringly. "He's just hungry."

"Oh," Mal said softly. "Do…do I have to stop holding him?

"Not if you don't want to Mal honey. I can get his bottle and you can feed him?" Persephone offered.

"Okay," Mal said softly, giving a small nod.

"I'll be right back," Persephone said with a smile. She quickly made her way to the kitchen to get a bottle for Hadie.

"How's it going in there?" Uma asked from her spot at the counter. "I don't hear any screaming. Which may or may not be a good thing now that I think about it."

Persephone couldn't help but smile. "Mal's holding Hadie," she told Uma.

"Good. That's all I wanted her to do," Uma said, her voice a near whisper with a slight smile on her lips.

"Well thank you Uma," Persephone told her. "It's nice to have Mal back."

Uma nodded. Like she had told Mal, she had gone through the same thing with Celia so she knew what it was like.

"I'm going back out there so Hadie can have his bottle if you want to come," Persephone said. "No reason for you to be exiled to the kitchen."

"If you think it won't ruin the moment, Aunt Steph," Uma said with a small smile.

"It's up to you Uma," Persephone told her, "but I'm sure Mal would want _all_ her family there."

Uma gave her aunt a smile before following her out to the den.

"Here you go dear," Persephone said, handing the bottle to Hades.

"Do…do you think he'd take it from me?" Mal asked softly.

"I'm sure he would," Hades said gently and handed the bottle to Mal. "Let me know if you need any help Mali."

Mal nodded and started to tentatively offer the bottle to Hadie. To her delight, Hadie opened his mouth and started taking his bottle.

"Good boy," Mal said with a smile.

Estelle gave a small yip from his spot on the ground.

"Not you this time boy!" Mal giggled.

"Don't worry Estelle," Uma said with a chuckle as she pet him, his tail wagging in delight. "You're always a good boy."

Turning to Mal, Uma couldn't help but smirk slightly. "I was right wasn't I?"

"You know, no one likes a know it all," Mal told her but had a small smile on her lips. Uma smiled back at her cousin.

"He's mine," Mal said softly.

"And he always will be," Uma nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. Mal smiled and continued to hold Hadie as he took the bottle.

"He looks like you dad," Mal said softly.

"Yeah he kinda does," Hades nodded. "Has Steph's eyes though."

"And what's wrong with that?" Mal teased, faking offense on Persephone's behalf and causing Hades to chuckle.

"Yeah Uncle Hades, Aunt Steph has nice eyes." Uma nodded.

"Yes she does," Hades said, smiling over at his wife.

"Why thank you," Persephone said with a chuckle, walking over to give Hades a kiss. She wasn't going to lie, she loved this. Her whole family together again. She was dying to snap a photo—the image of Hades, Mal and Hadie on the sofa? That would be a perfect picture.

She walked back to where she had been standing, giving a small sigh. If only she had her camera but she'd left it in the kitchen.

"Here Aunt Steph," Uma whispered, as if she'd read Persephone's mind. "I thought…in case you wanted a picture or something.

"Thank you," Persephone said softly, taking the camera from Uma. Uma smiled and stepped back as Persephone quickly took the photo; none of the subjects even noticing. This was all she had wanted when she found out she was pregnant, her two children together.

Mal smiled as she continued to hold Hadie, until a smell wafted up to her nose. "Um, dad? Hadie's kinda smelly."

"I'll take him honey. He probably needs changing," Persephone said as she took Hadie from Mal's arms. "You sit with your dad for a bit."

"Okay Steph," Mal said softly as Persephone left, taking Hadie with her. Mal leaned back into her father's chest and smiled a little.

"It's good to have you back Mali," Hades said with a smile before leaning down to kiss the top of Mal's head.

"It's good to be back dad," Mal whispered with a small smile of her own.

"Promise me that if you ever start having doubts about your place in this family that you'll talk to us before taking off again?" Hades asked and Mal nodded, causing Hades to smile and pull her closer to him. "Good. Now, on to happier topics. What do you want for dinner?"

"Anything new? Or am I picking from old favorites?" Mal asked with a grin.

"If you want to pick from your favorites Mali, go ahead," Hades said, a grin of his own on his face. His daughter was home, that's all that mattered to him.

Mal took a moment to think. There was only one thing that came to mind, even though it was a fairly recent development.

"Garlic crispy chicken?" Mal asked softly.

"Coming up," Hades said with a smile, kissing her forehead and causing Mal to smile.

"Great!"

Hades chuckled before looking over at his great-niece. "Uma, will you be joining us?"

"I wouldn't mind," Uma said with a small shrug.

"You're more than welcome," Hades told her. "I'll make sure there's enough for four people."

Uma nodded. "You don't have to do that Uncle Hades. But I appreciate it."

"You're family Uma, it's what we do here," Hades said with a smile. "Steph says Boreadon has a motto—family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. I think that's something we can steal for us, don't you?"

"We actually have sort of a variation of that as our motto for the crew," Mal told him with a slight smile.

"Oh really?"

"Yep. 'Ruthless but loyal'," Mal told him. "We kick the butts of the people who mess with us but we don't abandon the people in the crew or under the crew's protection."

"That's a good motto," Hades said with a smile. "Just don't go looking for trouble Mali."

"When do I ever?"

Hades and Uma chuckled, causing Mal to smile. Life was looking back up. At least she wasn't being replaced like she had feared.


	25. Chapter 25

Mal smiled as she watched Hadie played on the floor of the den, Estelle keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings. A couple of years had gone by since her brother had been born and Mal wouldn't have traded it for the world. Nothing had really changed in terms of her family dynamics—there was just an extra person now who got her protection.

Her nasty inner voice had been wrong, something Mal had never been happier to think.

Plus, Hadie allowed her to test out her skills drawing people. Whenever Hadie went down for a nap, Mal snuck in and sat by the crib with her sketchbook in hand. So far her sketches looked like a deformed potato but there was _one_ that looked close to human.

"Hey Mali," Persephone said with a smile as she walked in to the den.

"Hey Steph," Mal said, looking up. Ever since she had that talk with her dad, Hades and Persephone always seemed to find ways to prove Mal wasn't being replaced and that she had a spot in the family. For Mal's eighth birthday, Persephone gave her a leather jacket she had made using material she had obtained over in Auradon. It was mainly purple and silver but had a smidgeon of green near the elbows. No one would question it though—green was Maleficent's color after all even though Mal pretended the green was for Persephone instead.

But Mal's favorite part of the jacket was on the back. There, on the center of the jacket, were two dragons: one purple and one dark blue, almost black. No one would question it at a glance and with Mal being known as Maleficent's daughter on the Isle, no one would dare look twice.

Mal never took it off—sure the sleeves were a bit long and Steph had made it slightly bigger than a normal jacket to allow Mal the chance to grow into it but Mal didn't mind. The best part was definitely the dragons, Mal still couldn't believe Steph had included them. She still remembered the talk she had had with Persephone regarding her love of dragons when she was eight.

_Mal bit her lip as she sketched out the outline of a dragon, one of the many attempts on the page. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty but she found that she really liked dragons. Despite the link they had to Maleficent, Mal couldn't help but be drawn to them._

_"Mal?" Persephone said, knocking on her door. Mal looked up and quickly closed her sketchbook. The last thing she wanted was for Persephone to realize that Mal liked dragons. That might be the straw that breaks the camel's back so to speak and Persephone would kick her out of the Underworld._

_"Yeah Steph?"_

_"What are you drawing?" Persephone asked, giving Mal a smile._

_"Just sketching," Mal shrugged. "What's up?"_

_"Nothing much, just wanted to stop by," Persephone said as she sat down on the bed and picked up the sketchbook. "Can I look?"_

_"It's not all that good—"_

_"I'm sure it looks just fine," Persephone said. "Your drawings always are amazing."_

_Mal smiled slightly before sighing. "Go ahead," she said softly._

_Persephone opened the sketchbook and couldn't help but smile slightly as she looked through the sketches of Hadie, Uma, Estelle…and then she came across the page of dragon attempts._

_"I…I know who dragons are connected to," Mal said softly as Persephone remained silent. "But I can't help it. Dragons are still awesome, the way they look with the curves and the rough exterior of the scales. Not to mention the ability to fly and breathe fire—"_

_"Mal, there's nothing wrong with liking dragons," Persephone told her. "Just because Maleficent is who most people think of when they think of dragons doesn't mean you need to be ashamed of liking them. As well, dragons are often connected to the Gods so it would make sense that you're drawn to them."_

_"But you and dad seem to really hate anything related to Maleficent," Mal said softly._

_Persephone sighed. "Your father and I do have our differences with Maleficent, I'm not going to lie. But Mal, just because you like dragons doesn't mean you are like Maleficent and it doesn't mean you are any less our daughter."_

_Mal bit her lip as she gave Persephone a small smile._

_"So no matter what, I'm still going to be your daughter?" Mal asked softly. "Even if you eventually have a girl and I get my sister?"_

_"Mal honey I could have a hundred daughters. Heck I could have a hundred **children** , boy or girl, and you would still be my daughter. Nothing will change that." _

_"You're sure?" Mal asked, looking at Persephone. "I mean, I don't want you to you have a hundred kids. There are days I don't want to share you with Hadie but he's reasonable."_

_Persephone chuckled. "It was just an exaggeration sweetheart. I don't want that many kids either but I am positive that no matter how many siblings you get, you will always be my eldest."_

_"Oh, okay," Mal said softly before pausing and tilting her head in confusion. "But wait. I wasn't born to you, how can I be your oldest? Wouldn't that be Hadie?"_

_Persephone gave Mal a soft smile. "Mal, when you think of your mother, who comes to mind?"_

_"Well…you Steph," Mal said instantly, her voice soft as if worried about how Persephone would react. "You do all the stuff a mom's supposed to do and you don't rant about cursing entire kingdoms."_

_Persephone smiled, trying not to show how touched she truly was. "And that is how you're my oldest. I've been there since you were a baby sweetheart. I raised you. Blood doesn't always dictate who family is."_

_Mal gave her a small smile before sighing. "Steph? I…I wish I had been born to you instead of the dragon. Dragons are cool and everything, and the benefit of the food when we get it and no one's able to touch me on the Isle is great…"_

_"I know sweetie but it doesn't matter. You are **my** daughter, and if anyone says otherwise to you, tell them to tell me that." _

_Mal nodded. "Does that include Maleficent? She hasn't said anything but there are days where she'll go on rants about dad being worthless and weak."_

_"As your dad often says, Maleficent will say a lot of things but that doesn't make them true. What matters is your opinion of your father. But I'd be glad to have a word with Maleficent. I have plenty to say to her."_

_Mal nodded. "I know dad's not weak and considering the number of things Maleficent considers worthless, the insult doesn't mean much coming from her. Steph, if you do have a talk with her…can I sell tickets? Or at least let Uma know so we can watch?"_

_Persephone chuckled softly. "If and when I talk with Maleficent, it'll be when you're much older so you won't get hurt if you do decide to watch," Persephone promised._

_Mal sighed but nodded._

_Persephone smiled slightly. "Don't worry Mali. No one messes with my kid."_

_Mal couldn't help but smirk slightly. It felt good, hearing Steph say Mal was her kid and knew she meant it._

_"Steph…are you planning on having more kids?" Mal asked softly._

_Persephone sighed. "I don't know Mal. Truthfully it's hard enough leaving you and Hadie every six months. I…I don't know if I could do that to another kid."_

_Mal nodded._

_"But as I said, even if I do have another kid, you will always be mine and you'll always be my eldest," Persephone promised._

_Mal gave her step mother a small smile._

"Mal, honey, I'd like to talk with you," Persephone said, pulling Mal back to present day. "Do you remember when I told you that just because you like dragons, it doesn't make you any less my daughter and how dragons are a godly symbol?"

"Yeah, Steph," Mal nodded, unsure about what the conversation was about. "You also said that no matter how many siblings I had, I'd be your eldest…you're not pregnant with a dragon are you?"

"No sweetheart I'm not," Persephone told her, trying not to laugh.

"Oh," Mal said. "I mean, you could be! Shapeshifting is a godly power—Zeus has done it numerous times after all."

"Very true, but I'm not pregnant," Persephone told her before taking a small breath. "Mal, honey, what I'm about to say is completely optional and one hundred percent your _choice_."

"Okay. What's up?"

Persephone took a moment to consider the two topics she wanted to talk to Mal about. After weighting them over in her head, she opted to go for the slightly easier topic first. "I've two things that I'd like to talk to you about but we'll start with this one. We both know that your full name connects you to someone we're both not particularly fond of."

"That's an understatement," Mal snorted.

"Yes well…how would you feel if your dad and I started calling you by a _different_ full name? Only if you want to," Persephone offered.

Mal sat up a bit in shock. "You mean I wouldn't be Maleficent anymore? I'd have my _own_ first name?" She asked softly. Not being a copy of the dragon, not needing to _earn_ her full first name…that was a dream come true!

"Exactly sweetie, you are your own person and I think it's high time we stop letting her mold you into a copy of her," Persephone said.

Mal nodded. "What…what would it be? My new full first name I mean?"

"That would be up to you. As I said, this is your choice but if I may make a suggestion, I'd keep the 'Mal' part. That way, the transition won't be as jarring," Persephone said gently.

Mal bit her lip in thought. "What about…Malinda?" Mal asked, her voice soft.

"I like that," Persephone said with a small smile.

"I do too," Mal nodded. "Malinda Bertha….dragons are still my thing though. The dragon's not taking that away."

"Of course not," Persephone said. _It's high time we started associating dragons with someone different anyway,_ she thought. "Now for the second topic I wanted to discuss. Mal, you know you're my daughter no matter what. But…how would you like to make it official?"

"Really?" Mal asked. "I'd…I'd be yours and Boreadon wouldn't be looming over our shoulders, in case Maleficent made a report?"

"With this type of magical adoption, you'd be legally and magically mine. You'd still be biologically Maleficent's so Hadie would still be your half brother but Maleficent would have no right to you anymore. But, like I said Mal, it's your cho—"

Persephone didn't get the chance to finish due to the nine year old wrapping her arms around her in a hug.

"Yes! Yes! I want that Steph! More than anything!" Mal exclaimed, startling Estelle who looked over at the two of them in shock.

Persephone grinned, unable to contain her own happiness. "Oh Mal, I'm so happy to hear that!"

"So would this affect the registry over in Boreadon or would they still know me as Maleficent's daughter?" Mal asked.

"That entry can be removed and you will be put under my entry, just like Hadie."

"Good," Mal smiled. "Oh, I can tell Uma, Jay and Harry right mom?"

Persephone paused, having heard the new title. Truthfully, she hadn't expected Mal to use the title of 'mom' so quickly. That didn't mean she didn't like it.

"Mal sweetheart, you know you don't have to call me that right away if you're not comfortable," she said.

Mal shook her head. "I meant what I said last year. When I think about my mom, _you're_ the one that comes to mind not the dragon. You do all the mom things and you're not a ranting insane dragon obsessed loon. You said it yourself, blood doesn't dictate family. You're my mom."

Persephone couldn't help but smile at the innocent reasoning. Such was the logic of a nine year old. "Okay sweetheart."

"Now back to my question. Can I tell them? They might wonder why I've started calling you 'mom' when I was calling you 'Steph' before."

"Of course, as long as they know that it can't get spread around the Isle," Persephone said and then paused. "Mal, honey, you will still need to spend one night with Maleficent until the registry's updated."

"Uma, Jay and Harry can keep a secret, mom," Mal said. "They know about dad after all."

Persephone smiled at that.

"The whole Maleficent part stinks but, hey, what can you do?" Mal added, shrugging a little.

"Hey, it's just until the registry's updated and then you're never going near her again," Persephone promised.

"How long would that take? Changing the registry?"

"The actual adoption would take about an hour, two at the most. Changing the registry would have to wait until the next time I'm in Auradon."

Mal nodded. "Okay, so I'd just have to keep pretending I'm the dragon's spawn for about six months?"

"Unfortunately."

"Well I spent nine years doing it. What's six more months?" Mal asked with a sigh.

Persephone couldn't help but give a sad smile upon hearing that. Mal shouldn't have to resign herself with living with Maleficent.

"Oh mom?" Mal asked. "What would this do to my magic? Like would it make me full God or would I still have my Fae side?"

"You may retain a bit of your Fae powers but the majority of your magic would be Godly abilities," Persephone said gently.

Mal couldn't help but smile. The promise of no connection to Maleficent was just too exciting.

"Could…could we do the adoption now? What does it need?" Mal asked as she got off the sofa.

"Of course sweetheart. If that's what you want," Persephone said with a smile as she got up too. Normally one would never leave a three year old alone in a room especially with a three headed dog. However, Estelle was pretty much a nanny to Hadie at this point and both of them knew the Cerberus would never allow any harm to come to the young boy.

"All it requires is a potion that you'd have to drink," Persephone told her as she got the ingredients out from the pantry. Thankfully she had picked up all the required ingredients the last time she had been in Auradon. She and Hades had talked about her adopting Mal back around her eighth birthday—the only reason it'd taken so long was because Persephone wanted to do the research into the best form of adoption.

The last thing she wanted was for this to end up hurting Mal.

"That's it?" Mal asked. "Seems rather simple."

"It's magic, Mal. It doesn't have to be flashy to be powerful," Persephone told her. "However I will need to cut your hand slightly. Blood magic, as it implies, requires blood."

Mal nodded. Even if it might hurt, she'd do anything to make it so she was Steph's and not Maleficent's.

"It won't be a big cut sweetie and I'll make sure it heals straight after we have a few drops in the potion. I promise."

"Okay," Mal said. "I trust you mom."

Persephone gave her a smile as she started preparing the potion, pouring liquids from ancient looking bottles into two bowls.

"Got any eye of newt in there?" Mal chuckled as she watched. Maleficent rarely taught her anything about magic so to be able to watch like this was a rare treat.

"No, it's pomegranate juice, binding elixir, crushed lily petals in holy water. That sort of thing," Persephone told her with a chuckle.

"Ah. That sounds much better than eye of newt," Mal said and then bit her lip. "I…I thought anything with blood magic was considered 'dark' though. You're not going to get into trouble for this are you?"

"If I do, then I do," Persephone said simply. "You are my daughter Mali. We're just making it official in every way."

Mal nodded, though she still bit her lip in worry.

"Now, can I have your hand please?" Persephone said gently and Mal nodded, handing Persephone her hand.

"Just a small cut sweetheart," Persephone said softly as she carefully made a small cut on Mal's pointer finger with a knife before holding it over one of the bowls and squeezing it gently, causing a few drops to land and turning the mixture inside gold with veins of purple running throughout.

Honestly she didn't understand why the mortals always cut their palms when they did this. There were so many more nerve endings there and all you were doing was causing unnecessary pain.

_Huh, I wonder how I could replicate that,_ Mal thought as she looked at the mixture. _Be fun to spray paint something using that._

Persephone quickly healed Mal's finger before cutting her own hand and adding the blood, turning the other mixture gold and green. "Okay," she said softly after healing her own hand. "Now you drink this one and I'll drink the one in front of you."

"That's it? It's that simple?" Mal asked.

"That's it Mali," Persephone nodded. "I can go first if you'd like."

Mal shook her head. "I'm good doing it at the same time."

"Okay," Persephone said with a smile as they both picked up their respective bowls. "On the count of three. One…two…three."

Mal gulped the liquid down. It didn't taste too bad—not like how most potions tasted or so she'd read in the limited books they had on the Isle.

"You might feel a bit of a head rush. That's your body adjusting to the added magic," Persephone told her. "In fact, it might be a good idea if you sit down. Come 'ere."

She gently scooped Mal up and carried her over to the sofa in the den, where Hadie and Estelle were still playing dutifully.

"Thanks mom," Mal said softly. She'd spent enough time around Persephone to know there wasn't much point in arguing. "Why aren't you getting the head rush?"

"I'm an adult and have been a full Goddess for much longer than you have even been alive Mal," Persephone said gently.

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Yeah. Are you feeling okay?"

Mal nodded. "A little bit of a head rush like you said but I'm good."

"Well just stay sitting for a bit okay? At least until it passes."

"Okay mom. Hey, does this mean I'll have control over plants like you do?"

"Potentially yes," Persephone nodded. "I can teach you."

_Not that it'll do much good here on the Isle, where it's mostly buildings,_ she thought with an inward frown but she didn't say anything at seeing Mal's grin at the prospect of learning new magic. In fact, her glee was so infectious that Persephone had to smile back.

_Take that Maleficent! I told you I'd get my daughter back,_ Persephone thought. _Honestly I should have thought of this years ago. When I wanted to take Mal to Auradon after Hades brought her to the Underworld back when she was five, this would have been the perfect way to do it! And maybe Mal wouldn't have taken Hadie being a boy so hard if she'd already been legally mine as well—she wouldn't have been living with Maleficent and having the dragon pour all that doubt into her head. I **really** should have thought of this years ago! _

But it was done now and it couldn't be undone. Mal was her daughter in every sense of the word. Well, every sense that _mattered_.

"I love you Mal," Persephone said softly, kissing her daughter on the forehead. Mal smiled and rested her head on Persephone's shoulder. They stayed like that for a bit until the sound of the front door opening caught their attention.

"Mal?"

"In the den, Uma!" Mal called back and Uma walked in, smiling at seeing her cousin and aunt.

"I wanted to come by and see if you wanted to hang out at the docks?" Uma asked.

"Sure," Mal nodded.

"Then come on!" Uma grinned. "Thanks for letting me steal her Aunt Steph!"

"Just don't get into too much trouble you two," Persephone chuckled as she picked up Hadie.

"It's like you don't trust us mom!" Mal chuckled as she dragged Uma out. Persephone just shook her head in amusement as Uma's shocked questioning followed them out of the Underworld.


	26. Chapter 26

Mal and Uma hid behind some of the barrels that were stacked around the docks, lying in wait for Cruella and her son. It was rare but they _did_ like to diversify their targets from time to time.

Blueberry's shrieks were always pleasing but sometimes their ears needed a break.

"So let me get this straight. Aunt Steph _adopted_ you?" Uma whispered as she scratched Estelle behind the ears, the loyal Cerberus having followed them from the Underworld.

"For the _thousandth_ time, yes," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "Why is that so hard for you to understand?"

"Sorry, it's just…weird. I've spent how many years knowing you as Maleficent's daughter?"

"I'm not Maleficent's _anything_ , even if she is my birth giver," Mal muttered. "Mom's more of my mom than Maleficent _ever_ was."

"But you still have to go back to her lair once a week?"

"Just until the registry's updated," Mal said, keeping her voice low as a couple of the warf rats passed by. "But mom said that won't be done until she goes back to Boreadon."

Uma nodded and then peered over the barrels. "Looks like we'll have to table this topic for now. Here they come."

"You got the smoke bombs ready?" Mal muttered, grinning wickedly. "Also, do you think we use smoke bombs too often?"

"Maybe," Uma muttered, pulling out the smoke bombs. "But they're easy to get ahold of. We don't have to rely on anything from Boreadon to make 'em."

"True and Ms. Fur Ball hates it when her precious furs are stained."

"Kinda makes me wonder where she's getting all those furs. This is the Isle after all."

"Excellent point!" Mal nodded.

Uma grinned wickedly. "Target on lock! Fire in 3…2…1…"

"Fire!" Mal shouted and both of them began throwing the smoke bombs at Cruella and Carlos. The girls laughed as Cruella shrieked amid blue and purple smoke.

"Come on! Run! Before she catches us!" Uma shouted through her laughter. Mal laughed and began to run. Unfortunately, she still had a bit of a head rush from the potion so running in a straight line wasn't the easiest task. Add the added difficulty of the smoke obscuring her vision and Mal would be forgiven for bumping into someone.

"Watch where you're going, witch," the person growled and reached out and grabbed her wrist. Mal winced as they gripped it hard—not as hard as Maleficent had done in years past but still hard enough that it would probably bruise.

"Get your hands off me," she growled, trying not to show how much their grip hurt.

"You strut around here like you own the Isle," the person growled and Mal froze as she thought she recognized their voice. "You think you're so great just because you're Maleficent's spawn. You're _nothing_ without your mother's name behind you."

He leaned forward and whispered into Mal's ear. "And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery depths. We may not have fire but water would work just as well, don't you think?"

"What—?"

Before Mal could react, the person shoved her off the edge of the dock into the water below. She gasped as her body broke through the water of the cove and Mal flailed about, trying to keep her head above water.

Her assailant turned and left but Mal wasn't worried about who they were. All she cared about was getting out of the water. She tried desperately to cling to one of the barrels that had fallen into the water but the wet wood made it impossible to keep her grip.

Each time her hand slipped, Mal felt her head go under the water and she struggled to keep herself afloat. A splash and a tugging at the collar of her jacket, though, couldn't help but make her smile a little despite the circumstances.

_Good boy_ , she thought.

"Uma!" Mal shouted, trying to get her cousin's attention. "Uma!"

"Oh Gods!" Uma shouted, having doubled back for Mal as she heard the commotion. "Hang in there Mali!"

She knelt down on the docks and held out her hand. "Can you get my hand?"

"No, you're too far!" Mal called back, a small bit of fear in her voice. Uma bit her lip, looking around for the other two members of their crew.

_Harry! Jay! Where are you?!_

"Uma!" Harry called as he jumped over the railing and ran toward his captain, as if he had heard Uma's frantic thoughts. "What happened? I was manning the counter for the Captain at our fish shop and heard shouting."

"Help!" Mal cried out.

"Oh Gods! Keep your head up Mal, I'm coming!" Harry said, dropping his hook on to the dock. "Uma, get your uncle _now_!"

Harry dove into the water as Uma ran off, presumably to do just that. Quickly, Harry swam to Mal and wrapped one arm around her torso and the other hand gently grabbed Estelle's collar.

"I got her boy," he said gently. "I got you Mali. Don't worry, we're going to get out of this."

"Harry!" Jay called after what felt like hours but was probably more twenty five minutes of Harry continuously kicking to keep both his and Mal's head afloat. "What happened?"

"Oh cap'n and I decided to go for a swim," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Mal fell in, what do you think happened Jay?!"

Jay rushed over and knelt down on the docks, his hand outstretched.

"I gotcha Mal, don't worry," Harry said. "Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm around."

"Come on you two. Grab on to me!" Jay called.

"Jay, can you stretch any farther?" Harry shouted. "I don't want to risk her head going under if I move."

Jay shook his head. "This is as far as I can reach," he said, biting his lip in worry. Just like Mal, he couldn't swim either so he couldn't jump in to help Harry. He'd just be a hinderance.

"Out of the way Jay!" Hades' voice startled the boys and Jay scrambled to get out of the way as the lord of the Underworld rushed over to them. Hades knelt down on the dock, holding his hand out for Mal to take as Harry continued to kick his legs to keep them both above water.

"Come 'ere Mali," Hades said softly as Mal grabbed his hand. Hades quickly wrapped his other arm around her chest and lifted her out of the water, holding her to him. This was _his_ side of the Isle, if anyone had an issue with him showing a bit of kindness to Mal they could take it up with him.

Plus if he could take the opportunity to warm up his daughter, he would. It wasn't done with an evil intent so the barrier couldn't block it.

"Dad," Mal said softly as Hades set her down on the docks. Harry and Jay quickly got Estelle out of the water before Jay pulled Harry out, Harry shaking himself off the same way Estelle did.

"I know, I know," Hades said gently. "You're okay, I've got you. Come on, let's get you home and get you dried off."

Harry went over and stood by Uma. "We should give 'em some privacy," he muttered. "Keep watch and the like. I doubt Mal'll want anyone finding out about this."

"Thank you for the offer but I want you three to come with me," Hades said as he stood up, holding Mal to his chest and rubbing her back. "Especially you Hook Jr. We'll need to get you out of those wet clothes before you get sick. Come along."

Harry stared in shock before Uma elbowed him in the side. "Uh, yes Lord Hades," he said and the three of them began to trot after Hades.

"Wait, Estelle! He's still in the—"

"We got him Mal," Jay said gently as Estelle gave a small yip.

"Yeah Mali, he's crew. You don't abandon your crew," Uma said and Harry nodded. Mal gave a small smile as they made their way back to the Underworld.

_I hope Harriet's fine taking over the counter for me,_ Harry thought. _If not, the Captain won't be happy I abandoned my post. But if it was between manning the counter and saving Mal…Mal wins every time._

"Hades, what's going on?" Persephone asked in worry, her eyes widening as Hades walked into the Underworld with the three kids following him. "What happened? Is she alright?"

"I'm fine mom," Mal said softly.

"Thanks to Hook Jr over there," Hades added. "Actually thanks to all three of them I should say."

"I didn't do anything though," Uma spoke up.

"You came and got me, that counts in my book."

Uma shrugged. "Harry's the stronger swimmer, he's taller. Besides I'm blood. If you hadn't already been running toward the docks, Uncle Hades, I would have been able to go straight in and not waste any time."

As soon as they'd been able, Hades and Persephone had added security to the Underworld where no one who wasn't a blood relation could get in without Hades, Persephone's or Mal's approval.

"It still counts Uma," Hades said. "Besides, you could have just stood there watching."

"Why would I do that?" Uma asked. "Mal's my cousin, not to mention the co captain of our crew. Harry and Jay would be useless without us."

"Hey!"

"She's got a point Harry."

"Jay!"

Hades gave the three of them a small smile before turning to Persephone. "Steph, can you make some tea for Mal and Harry? And see if you can find him some clothes. I'm going to take Mal to her room so we can get her out of these wet things."

"Of course dear," Persephone said before turning to Harry. "I think Virgil's old clothes should fit you just nicely Harry."

"Um, thank you your Ladyship but I'm fine really—"

Persephone gave Harry a look, not unlike a look a mother would give a son as Hades carried Mal off. "Harry, you're dripping wet. I'm not having you get sick because you were too stubborn to change your clothes. Come on, we'll get you a change of clothes and then I'll get some tea on. Now come along and we'll get you sorted."

Meanwhile, Hades was busy getting Mal situated.

"It's okay sweetheart, you're safe," he said gently as he closed the door to her room. Mal clung to her dad, as if nervous that letting go would result in her winding back into the water even though she was no where near it.

"I thought I was going to die," she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Shh, it's okay Mali," Hades said. "You're safe. There's nothing to be afraid of, okay? Let's get you out of this wet jacket and into some dry clothes, and then you can get into bed to keep warm and I'll see if Steph's made your tea."

Mal shook her head, crossing her arms. She could handle getting changed but she was _not_ going to take off her jacket.

"Malinda, take _off_ the jacket," Hades said, a bit more firmly. Persephone had told him about the name change and he had been one hundred percent for it. "You can put it back on once it's dried," he added, his voice going back to the gentle tone he'd been using. Mal bit her lip but her dad was always good to his word. Plus…the wet leather on her arms _did_ send chills up her spine.

"What about the others?" Mal asked softly as she shed her jacket. "I don't want them to wor…I mean I should go back out there."

"I think that ship's sailed sweetheart," Hades said gently with a soft smile on his face. "Mal you don't have to put on a brave face. Not with them and not with me or your mom. Besides if your minions are anything like I think they are, they'll be worrying about you whether you want them to or not. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that the minute Harry's dry, the three of them will be outside your door wanting to climb on the bed with you."

"Harry shouldn't have come out," Mal said softly. "Hook's not going to be happy Harry abandoned his post at the shop—hopefully Harriet covered for him."

"Mal, if Harry hadn't done what he did there's a very high chance you wouldn't be here right now unless Uma managed to hold you up in the water. Truthfully I'd rather Harry get in trouble with his dad than you not be here," Hades said. "I only get one daughter and I'm rather fond of her. So let's get you into some dry clothes and then you're getting into that bed young lady. No complaints."

"Dad?" Mal said as Hades pulled some dry clothes out for her. "Thanks…for being at the docks I mean. I know we're still keeping it a secret but I…it was nice having you there."

"Anytime Mali. I told you, I'll always watch over you. No matter what, it doesn't matter that you're living here now or that Steph's adopted you. I'm still going to keep an eye out for you. Now, would you like a moment alone so you can change or would you like some help?"

Mal bit her lip as she thought it over. She was nine after all—she shouldn't need her father's help to get changed.

"Or would you rather I send your mom in?" Hades asked softly.

Mal shook her head. Steph… _mom_ would just fuss and worry. "Can I have the moment alone?"

"Of course, call if you need anything," Hades said, kissing her on the forehead and handing her the clothes before heading out the door.

"Thanks dad," Mal said softly, watching him leave and closing the door behind him for her privacy. She sighed and shivered slightly as she pulled off her wet top.

_I'm going to owe Harry a big thank you_ , Mal thought as she got changed. _Though what can I do that equals basically saving my life while risking his father's wrath? If Hook does anything to Harry because he left the counter to save me, he'll regret it for the rest of his life! I'll be throwing more than smoke bombs at the Captain if that's the case._

Though if Hook wanted to keep the deal he had with Hades, he wouldn't do anything to Harry. After all, Harry just garnered favor with _Hades_ of all people. That was a big thing on the Isle. Even if they were keeping her relationship to Hades a secret, it didn't change the fact that Harry, Jay and Uma had just earned massive points with Hades. The only one who probably would have to keep it a secret though would be Jay.

"Thank you Harry," Mal whispered as she quickly finished getting dressed as to not worry her father any more than she already had and left her room to go join the others.

"Ah ba ba ba! Young lady, where do you think you're going?"

"To join the others?"

"They can come to you! You are getting under those covers and drinking a cup of tea!"

"Mom!" Mal exclaimed as Persephone led Mal back to the bed. "I'm _fine_!"

"No complaining, in you get!" Persephone said, tucking her in pointedly.

"Mom! Seriously, I'm fine!"

"Yes, you will be. Once you have some tea. I have the water on right now."

"You don't have to fuss like—"

"I almost lost my daughter today Mal. I will fuss however I please!" Persephone told her. "Now, young lady, you will be staying in this bed until the tea arrives!"

"I'd listen to her Mal," Uma said as she poked her head through the door.

"Hey Uma," Mal said with a small smile.

"Can we come in?"

Mal nodded. "How's Harry?"

"Ask him yourself," Uma smirked as Harry, now wearing a pair of black jeans and a blue shirt that was slightly too big for him, and Jay followed her in.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that question to you Mal?" Harry asked. "You're the one who almost drowned."

"You're the one who spent who knows how long keeping my head above water Harry," Mal told him. "How are your legs not rubber right now?"

"Swimming lessons since I was practically six months old," Harry chuckled as they all clambered up on the bed, Estelle joining them.

"I don't think that's actually possible," Jay said with a chuckle.

"Take a look at who the Captain is. I was practically born in the water," Harry shook his head.

Persephone smiled slightly at the sight. "I'll go check on your tea," she said and left the room. Mal sighed. Now that the excitement was over, she realized that someone had pushed her into that water. She hadn't fallen. She hadn't tripped. That was on purpose.

"Someone pushed me in…" she said softly.

"What?" Uma asked, the lighthearted mood of the room growing somber.

"Who was it Mal? They now have an appointment with my hook—"

"And fists—"

"And swords and other sharp objects—"

"—before they get shoved in themselves!" Harry growled, ignoring the interjections from Jay and Uma.

"Guys, I have my suspicions but I can't prove anything," Mal said softly. "The smoke covered their face."

"Mal, suspicions are good enough! No one tries to murder my cousin and get away with it!" Uma growled as she hopped off the bed and began to pace.

"Mal, the other gangs have gotten into fights on less than suspicions, you know that!" Jay said. "Who was it? When your dad finds out, he'll feed them to the Furies! After we're done with them of course!"

Mal smiled softly at her crew's determination. "Guys really, you don't have to make a big deal out of it."

"Beggin' your pardon, co-cap'n, but we _do_. No one messes with a member of our crew and gets away with it," Harry told her.

"Mal, if you insist on not telling us, we can just ask Estelle. There's no way he didn't see 'em or at least smell 'em," Uma said, crossing her arms.

Mal sighed. There was no way her crew would drop it. "I…I think it was Freddy boy," she said softly. "You know how much he hates me and he's probably the only one that would have the guts—"

"That's _it_! He's _dead_!" Uma growled. "Harry, Jay, we're going to _make sure_ Freddy boy sees his precious Hellfire! Estelle, stay with Mal. We'll be back!"

"Guys, wait! You'll start a gang war over this, it could tear our lives apart!" Mal exclaimed as the boys got up, dark looks on their faces. "Think about it! Killing Freddy might feel good until Freddy's angels come after us! I'm not risking Hadie over this! And Celia, Uma think about it! You kill Freddy and Celia will have a target on her back! You really want her mixed up in this?"

"Mal, Celia and Hadie are under our protection. What good does that do if if we don't go after someone who tried to kill a member of our crew?" Uma asked.

"Girls, I've got an idea that might prevent a gang war," Harry chimed in. "Go to Lord Hades. Think about it. Most of the Isle knows that Mal is his errand rat and it's pretty well known that he doesn't take well to threats to his his minions and this wasn't just a threat, this was an attempt at murder…"

Mal frowned. "I don't want my dad being a murderer Harry. If they ever let people off the Isle, that might keep dad here."

"Mal! We can not just let him get away with it! He has to pay! You could have died! What's it going to look like if we do nothing?!"

"Harry, we don't know it was him!" Mal exclaimed even if she knew in her heart that it was Freddy. With the line that was said before she was pushed, how could it not be? "You three are asking us to disrupt our lives and risk a gang war like no one has ever seen because of something I suspect. Only the four of us know my suspicions and wouldn't it be better revenge if Freddy just saw me walking around like nothing happened?"

The other three looked at each other in doubt, causing Mal to groan in frustration.

"Guys, we have a good life here under the circumstances! We have food, security, places to sleep! We practically rule the Isle with the Warf Rats and you want to threaten that for mere suspicions! I nearly died today, I don't want any of us to actually die—and you know the angels would do it too if we killed their leader. Eye for an eye."

"Mal, he still needs to pay! If it was him and we don't do anything—"

"Harry, I hate to say it but Mal has a point," Uma spoke up.

Harry and Jay couldn't help but stare at her in shock.

"What? I still think Freddy needs to pay but I'm not risking Celia getting caught up in a gang war," Uma said.

"Can we at least hold him under water for a while? See how he likes it!" Harry muttered.

"If you can catch him, be my guest Harry," Uma told him. "Just don't let him see you or his angels might go after Harriet and CJ next."

"Watch me," Harry nodded.

"He won't be alone either," Jay growled.

Mal shook her head. "Guys, honestly. It's not like Freddy knew I couldn't swim. It's not as if he tied me to a pyre and then lit it on fire to burn like his dad did with Esmeralda."

"Doesn't matter. He still caused you harm! And a slight against you is a slight against the crew!" Jay said firmly.

"I'm going to reiterate that we don't know it was him…but since I know there's no talking you out of this, as long as you don't kill him, have at it."

"With pleasure."

"You two are insane, I hope you know this," Mal chuckled as she shook her head.

"Mal, you'd do the same for any of us. What makes you think we wouldn't do it for you?"

"He's right Mal. We're 'ruthless yet loyal' so let us be loyal to you the way you'd be loyal to us."

Mal couldn't help but give them a small smile as she heard that.

"Thanks guys," Mal said softly. "Now come back here."

Jay and Harry looked at each other before going back to Mal. She'd be alright, they'd make sure of it.

Mal's eyes started to drift cloud, finally warmed up enough to sleep. She knew her mom was on her way with some tea but her body couldn't help it.

Harry, Jay and Uma smiled as each of them curled up by Mal.

"You can sleep Mali. You're safe now," Uma said softly. "We'll wake you up when Aunt Steph comes in with your tea."

"Harry's tea too," Mal said softly as her eyes closed and she leaned against Jay.

"We gotcha, Mal," Jay said softly.

"Go on and sleep cap'n," Harry added, ignoring the comment about Steph bringing in tea for him too.

"Okay," Mal whispered and they watched as Mal slowly but finally drifted off to sleep.

The other three shared a look.

"So…when does Freddy boy die?" Harry whispered.

"Harry, Mal said no killing," Uma sighed.

"Oh come on—she almost _died_ Uma!"

"I know that. Still, she said no killing."

"However, that doesn't mean we can't maim," Jay pointed out.

"Exactly Jay. After all, you know you'd be surprised at what you can live through," Uma said with a wicked grin.

Jay smirked. "Excellent. As long as we don't make Freddy boy _see_ his precious hellfire, I don't think Mal'll have a problem."

"We'll make him wish he was there though," Harry whispered.

"Of course we will. After all, we're 'ruthless yet loyal'…I think it's time we were ruthless," Uma smirked.

"Count on it," the boys agreed with matching smirks.

"Though I think we'll have to do it when Jay's not acting as 'pillow'," Uma said, the smirk still on her face. Jay chuckled softly.

"I'm fine being pillow if it means Mal sleeps," he said softly. "She needs it."

"She does," Harry and Uma nodded.

Jay couldn't help but give a sad smile. "She does so much for the crew…did she really think we were going to let this slide?"

"I don't think Mal values herself as much as she values the crew," Uma said softly.

"And I think we can all blame Maleficent for that," Harry added.

"That's clear as glass," Jay sighed.

"Well we just have to show Mal that she's important too," Uma said and they all nodded. Harry and Uma repositioned themselves so they were curled up closer to Mal and Jay, just like in the clubhouse. Jay couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Nobody messes with us," he said softly.

"They'll regret it if they do," Harry muttered, as his eyes began to close. He tried to fight it though, he needed to go and relieve Harriet from the counter before the Captain found out. If he hadn't already.

"Sleep Harry. You've got to be worn out mate. You were in the water holding Mal up for what? Twenty minutes?"

"Twenty five but who's counting?" Harry muttered.

"My point exactly," Jay said. "Sleep."

Harry rolled his eyes but couldn't help it as his eyes slowly closed and he began to sleep as well.

Uma gave a sad smile as she looked at the sight.

"What are we going to do with those two?" Jay asked softly.

"Be there for them to fall back on," Uma said.

"Always. We have each other's backs."

"And we always will," Uma said softly. "It'd take an act of Boreadon to break us up."

"Like that'll ever happen. Beastie's pretty set in his ways."

"You're telling me? We're all stuck on this Isle because Beastie's stuck in his ways," Uma sighed.

"You know I heard a rumor that DeVil built a device that managed to blow a small hole in the barrier?" Jay said. "He was trying to get better TV channels than the two we get."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The device broke but now we can at least watch something other than Boreadon news. DeVil freaked out at one of the shows—it had a dog on it."

Uma snorted in amusement.

"Maybe we should bring him in or at least put him under our protection. He's still far too timid for a seven year old." Jay said.

"I'll talk it over with Mal when she wakes up," Uma said. "Still, DeVil's brains should be with us. If Freddy boy got ahold of him…"

"Uma, it'll be fine," Jay said. "DeVil's his mom's servant anyway."

"I know Jay. I just don't like the idea of Freddy boy getting access to DeVil's brains. As smart as he seems to be becoming…Freddy could do a lot. I'll talk to Mal as soon as possible about bringing DeVil in, or at least offering him protection. I don't want a Freddy boy with access to Devil."

Jay nodded.

"But for right now, let's let her sleep."

Estelle stared at the four kids from the end of the bed.

"Come 'ere Estelle," Uma said softly, patting the spot next to her. Estelle gave a doggy grin and carefully scrambled next to her.

"Good boy," Uma said softly as she pet Estelle. "You did good today."

Estelle gave a small yip and rested his heads on Uma's leg.

"You did what I couldn't do," Uma whispered as she continued to pet him.

"You ran and got your uncle," Jay said softly, hearing the whisper. "You did more than I did, just kneeling there with my arm outstretched."

Uma shrugged.

"Plus you can swim," Jay added. "You could have jumped in if Harry needed help."

"And I didn't…"

"At least you got help," Jay sighed and Estelle gave a small lick to Uma's hand causing her to smile slightly.

"Good boy," Uma said softly and Estelle wagged his tail lightly. Uma and Jay smiled at Estelle, he was a great part of the crew. You honestly couldn't ask for a better crew mate. He fit right in and was protective of everyone.

"Estelle's a good buddy," Jay said softly with a small grin.

"He is," Uma nodded causing Estelle to wag his tail again. They laid there quietly until Persephone and Hades walked in.

"Think they'd be up for some tea?" Persephone asked softly.

"If you can wake 'em Aunt Steph," Uma said. "Harry spent twenty five minutes keeping Mal afloat, that'd wear anyone out. And you and I _both_ know Mali sleeps like the dead. A herd of elephants could pass by this room and she wouldn't even turn over."

"Well the tea'll help plus I've got some pain medicine here for Harry's legs," Persephone said. "They can go back to sleep after they have it."

Gently shaking Mal's shoulder, Persephone said, "Mal, honey? Can you wake up and have some tea for me?"

"Okay, teach me your ways Aunt Steph," Uma said as Mal woke up.

"It's a mother's touch, dear," Persephone said with a small smile.

"Mmm? Mom?" Mal groaned, sleep still in her voice.

"Tea time," Persephone said. "You can go back to sleep after you have some."

Mal nodded and smiled slightly as she saw Harry curled up next to her. "Harry'll need some tea too."

"Already on it," Hades said. "But he'll need to be woken up first."

Mal nodded and poked Harry in the side.

"I'm up!" Harry said instantly.

"Good," Mal said. "Cause tea's here. And you're taking something for your legs. No questions."

"Mal, what if someone else needs it?"

"Mom can pick up more when she goes back to Boreadon," Mal said. "Your legs have to be killing you right now."

Harry sighed. "Why can I never say no to you or Uma?"

"Because you'd be lost without us," Mal chuckled, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered, the humor leaving her voice.

"No thanks needed Mal," Harry whispered back. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"In fact, I think I owe all three of you a thank you," Mal said as she pulled back.

"She's not the only one," Hades spoke up as Persephone handed Mal and Harry a mug of tea and handed Harry some pain tablets.

"You don't need to thank us Uncle Hades," Uma said as Harry eyed the pain pills. "Mal would have done the same for any of us."

"She protects us, we protect her," Jay nodded.

"Like I told Mal, sir, I'd do it again in a heart beat," Harry added. Hades couldn't help but give the three of them a smile. It was clear that they lived by their motto and that they'd be loyal to each other.

"Harry, the pain medicine only works if you actually take it," Mal told Harry, noticing he still hadn't taken the pills. "It's not poison I promise."

"I trust you Mal," Harry sighed. "It's just…the Captain always said that men and pirates don't complain about pain though."

"Well he's not here and nobody in this room will tell him. After what you did, none of us are going to let you be in pain. Also, and I'm shocked I have to tell you this but you're nine," Mal rolled her eyes. "Just take the pills."

"Yes my lady," Harry muttered with a small smile as he put the tablets in his mouth.

"Don't call me that!" Mal grumbled but smiled as Harry swallowed and drank his tea. She sipped hers slowly, knowing that her parents were watching.

"Thank you for the tea your ladyship," Harry said. "Oh, and the clothes."

"You're very welcome Harry," Persephone said with a smile.

"You are all welcome here anytime if you need anything," Hades told them.

"Thanks Uncle Hades," Uma said softly. "Any chance you could get us a way off the Isle?"

Hades couldn't help but give a sad chuckle at the joke. "I may be a God, little squidling, but I can't do everything. Believe me, if I could, you four would already be out of here."

"Oh," Uma said and grew silent.

"Could be worse," Jay said. "We can get decent food and shelter. There are so many other kids who aren't so lucky."

Uma and Harry nodded.

"Like DeVil," Mal said slowly as if thinking. "He's more jumpy than Virgil at times. We should look into bringing him in…or at least offering him protection like we do Hadie and Celia."

"I don't know if DeVil will treat that as a compliment considering Hadie and Celia are _three_."

"Hey, he can be insulted and refuse," Mal shrugged. "We're the ones taking on the risk since his mom's with the Dragon after all."

"He might be less insulted if we add Gil to the list," Uma said, causing Harry to roll his eyes. "I know you can't stand him Harry but he still deserves food."

"He's an idiot! He's nine and he acts like he's five!"

"His father's not exactly known for his smarts Harry," Mal pointed out. "Not to mention his brothers aren't the brightest bulbs in the box either. Uma's right, he may be stupid but that doesn't mean he should starve."

"Fine," Harry muttered. "But I'm not spending any more time with him than I have to. Bad enough the Captain keeps forcing him on me."

"You won't have to Harry. We'll give him take out bags from the restaurant if we see him around. It's not like he'll be sitting there eating with us."

"Oh thank Gods. Every time I have to interact with him, I want to slap him over the head with my hook," Harry said and then paused. "Speaking of which, has anyone _seen_ my hook?"

"I just might have…" Jay said and pulled out the aforementioned hook.

"How'd you get that?" Harry asked as he grabbed it from Jay.

"Picked it off the dock after Lord Hades shooed me out of the way. I figured you'd go crazy looking for it once you realized you didn't have it."

"I didn't even think, I just dropped it," Harry said, gripping the base of the hook. Mal couldn't help but give him a small smile, she knew how much Harry valued that hook. After all, this was the Isle—they didn't have to do anything if they didn't want to. Harry could have decided his dad's wrath wasn't worth abandoning the counter. Jay could have decided to focus on his father's quota and Uma could have decided not to get Hades. Instead they picked her.

"Mal, you okay?" Harry asked. "You're being quite—that usually means you're planning something or Jay and I are in trouble."

"No, no. Harry you're not in trouble. Quite the opposite actually."

"Oh, so Jay's in trouble?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"No! None of you are in trouble!" Mal said with a small giggle. "Why would you be? Unless you two got into mischief while I was getting changed?"

"Knowing those two, it's possible," Uma chuckled.

"We didn't touch anything! We swear!"

Mal chuckled and shook her head. "No, trust me guys. None of you are in trouble. After what you did today, how could you think that?"

"Then what is it? You're not usually quiet."

"Just thinking."

"Oh yeah? What about?"

"You guys."

"Oh really? Do tell."

Mal gave a small smile. "This is going to sound sappy and Boreadon-y but I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you guys as my crew."

"That does sound sappy but we'll let you off this once," Jay said with a smile.

"Jay, you tell us how lucky you are you fell in with us every time we eat at Uncle Hades' restaurant," Uma told him, rolling her eyes. "You're pretty sappy as well."

"Uma, you still call your mom 'mama'. Don't act like you're not sappy yourself sometimes. In fact, I think the only non-sappy one of us is Harry."

Harry shrugged. "Pirates don't do sappy. But on that note, I should get going. Harriet can only cover for me for so long. That's if she did at all—if she didn't, the Captain really won't be happy I abandoned post."

"I'll walk you out Harry," Hades said. Harry couldn't help but be a bit nervous at that but followed the God to the front door. "You're not in trouble, I just want to talk."

"Yes Lord Hades?"

"I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to be honest with me okay? How much do you like working at your father's shop?"

Harry shrugged. "As much as any nine year old likes working I guess. The Captain's not the easiest to work under but it's better than being on the streets."

"What if I told you there was another place where you could earn your keep but that would, from the sound of it, treat you better?"

Harry straightened up, obviously interested but trying to not let it show.

"Harry I'm going to make you an offer. After what happened today, I don't want Mal going near the docks. I'd like you to start working at my restaurant, taking orders and giving out food."

He wasn't cruel—there was no way he'd have a nine year old making the food after all.

"Me?" Harry asked shocked. "But…I'm just a pirate. I'm honored Lord Hades but are you sure you want me?"

"You saved my daughter's life today Harry. I will not have you treated cruelly. Any of you three for that matter."

Harry looked down, trying to not let any of the emotions he was feeling show on his face. Pirates were cruel, pirates were vicious. "I doubt the Captain would let me go," he muttered.

"If he gives you any trouble, send him to me."

Harry looked up, the hope shining on his face despite his best efforts. "Sir you should probably know that I probably won't be any use to you counting money. I…I never learned how to count," he said softly, at a near whisper. Admitting that was probably a weakness but he didn't want to lose this shot by Hades finding out later and kicking him out.

Hades nodded. "We can start you off by carrying the food out or cleaning tables and if you want to learn you can be taught."

Harry nodded, still looking a bit hesitant. "If you're sure Lord Hades."

"I'm positive. Now you run along but you're to be at the restaurant by ten for a shift. Any questions?"

"No sir," Harry said and left. Hades sighed and went back to check on Mal and the others. Well and Uma he should say as Jay apparently had slipped past him and snuck out. Mal had fallen back asleep and Hadie was babbling happily to Uma and Steph, Steph apparently having grabbed him while Hades was walking Harry out. Hades couldn't help but smile at the sight.

His family was safe—his _daughter_ was safe. That was all he could ask for, living on the Isle.


	27. Chapter 27

The next morning, Mal wandered around the Isle with Estelle trotting loyally by her side; trying to find her crew. Normally she'd go straight for the docks but her dad had forbidden her from going there. Not one to tempt fate by having her dad find out she disobeyed him, especially with Freddy still out there, Mal decided to check the other places. Starting first with the clubhouse.

If Harry and Jay got locked out of their homes, odds were they were there—hopefully not nursing any wounds for going after Freddy. Though knowing the boys the way she did, Mal wouldn't put it past them. After all, the smoke covered Freddy's face so it was likely the Dragon wouldn't find out. Yet. Her spies _were_ everywhere after all.

"Boys? Uma?" Mal called as she opened the gate to the clubhouse and climbed the stairs.

"In here Mal!" Uma called.

"Are you three alright?"

"I'm fine. So's Jay. This idiot however…" Uma said as she tried to wrap Harry's ribs with a makeshift bandage, Harry trying to squirm from her grasp.

"Nothing that wasn't to be expected," Harry muttered and sighed as he saw Mal's face. "I didn't disobey orders Mal. The Captain wasn't too pleased I abandoned my post and had Harriet take over. She hasn't worked the counter since I was seven-the counter's 'man's work' after all."

He winced as Uma continued to try to wrap his ribs.

"Harry! You should have come straight back to the Underworld," Mal cried as she hurried over to help or at least hold Harry still so Uma could wrap him. Personally she thought the whole concept of men and women's work was completely stupid—Athena and Artemis were proof of that. Mal doubted that they wouldn't do something because it was normally done by a man, but she held her tongue. Harry needed her attention.

"Mal, it's nothing," Harry said as he winced again, Estelle trotting over and resting his heads on Harry's leg. "I think they're just bruised this time. I'll be fine."

Mal rolled her eyes. "Doesn't matter Harry. You should have come back to the Underworld."

Harry gave a small shrug, wincing as the pain of the motion hit him.

"Hey idiot, don't shrug," Uma told him. "If you were with Uncle Hades right now, he could get you something for the pain."

"Don't coddle me Uma. Yesterday was a one off."

"Who's coddling? Bruised or broken, your ribs are injured!" Uma told him. "It's going to smart for a while."

"I'm aware," Harry muttered.

"So, still think I'm coddling you by suggesting we get you something for the pain?" Uma asked.

"Uma, nobody else gets—"

"No one else is sitting in front of me with potentially broken ribs," Uma said, glaring slightly at Harry. "Uncle Hades would _flip_ if he found out we just let you suffer, especially after you saved Mal's life yesterday. Now do I need to drag you or are you going to come by yourself?"

"Uma, would it be better if I brought my dad here?" Mal asked. "You and I both know Harry's as stubborn as a mule and I don't think dragging him would be the best idea with his ribs."

"Either way works."

"Girls!" Harry exclaimed. "I'm fine! I've had worse anyway."

"Be quiet Harry!"

"But I'm fine!" Harry said, throwing up his arms and nearly shouting in pain from his ribs. "I should _not_ have done that."

"Case in point. I will be right back," Mal said as she headed for the door. "Estelle, stay with Harry. I think he needs you more right now boy."

"Mal, is that a good idea?" Jay asked. "With Freddy…?"

"Let him freak out over me walking around alive," Mal smirked. "Harry's more important. Stay, Estelle."

Estelle gave a small yip and stayed on his spot on the bed. Mal ignored Harry's protests as she made her way out of the clubhouse and ran back to the Underworld.

"Hey dad? Mom? Can you tell me where the pain medicine is?" Mal asked, poking her head into the den.

"In our room Mal," Hades said as he walked out of the kitchen. "Why?"

"Don't panic," Mal said. "It's not for me. Harry needs another dose."

"What happened?" Hades asked as he went to go get it. Ever since Hadie learned to walk, they had kept the pain medicine in the top drawer of their tallest dresser. The last thing they wanted was for him to potentially overdose on it—God or not, that was the last thing any parent wanted.

"We think he's broken his ribs. Right now he's saying they're bruised but with how he's wincing and everything, it's hard to tell," Mal said.

Hades paused as he came back with the pain medicine. "His father?"

"Right in one," Mal said softly.

Hades growled slightly but shook his head. "Here," he said as he handed the pain medicine to Mal. "If Harry's still in pain after taking this, bring him here. Have Jay carry him if need be."

Mal nodded as she took the bottle of pain medicine. "Thanks dad."

"Ooh, hang on a sec. He's going to need some fluid with those."

"Dad, it's going to take a battle to get Harry to take these," Mal said with a small sigh. "Never mind actually drink something with them."

"Well then bring him here." Hades reiterated.

Mal nodded, mentally preparing for the fight it'd have to take to get Harry over to the Underworld.

"I hope I don't see you in about ten minutes," she said as she turned to head back to the clubhouse.

"I hope so too Mali but your mom and I will be here if you need to bring Harry here," Hades told her.

"Thanks dad."

Hades smiled and Mal left to go back to the clubhouse, hoping she wouldn't have to make a return trip with a very stubborn pirate. Hades couldn't help but smile sadly as he went back to the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes. He had wondered why Harry hadn't shown up that morning. He'd have given Harry the day off if he'd asked.

"Everything okay?" Persephone asked as she came into the kitchen from putting Hadie down for a nap.

"Harry needed another dose of pain medicine."

Persephone frowned as she pulled out a dish towel, drying as Hades washed. "Are his legs still hurting him?"

"Worse. Hook's potentially broken his ribs," Hades growled.

Persephone froze. "He _what_?!"

"My thoughts exactly."

"Hades, broken ribs or even the possibility of broken ribs is serious," Persephone said, turning to look at her husband. She knew Hades already knew that but her brain was more focused on her worry for Mal's friend than anything else. "Harry should be in a bed, staying still, not in the clubhouse where he probably is right now. Get Jay to carry him if necessary. He needs to be here!"

Hades sighed. "Something tells me Mal's having the same conversation with Harry right now."

He knew Hook didn't care for children, hell his own history with Peter Pan and the lost boys could have told him that. Firing a canon at children who had nothing to do with the war between him and Pan, trying to get children to join his pirate crew...but to do this? To his own son? And from the way Mal had acted, it wasn't the first time.

"Jay! Put me down you sneaky scarf snatcher! I swear I will _hook_ you for this! Put me _down_ right now!" Hades and Persephone heard faintly as Harry's voice trailed in from the front door.

"Sorry Harry, this is for your own good," they heard Jay's voice respond, a bit louder. "Besides, you can barely lift your arm without nearly cursing in pain. You need this."

"Take him to the spare room Jay," Mal's voice chimed in.

"Guys, come on! Put me down! At least let me _walk_ for Poseidon's sake!"

"Sorry Harry but we don't really trust you not to bolt," Uma's voice told him, all the voices getting louder as they got further and further into the Underworld.

"Oh come on! Uma, this is _embarrassing_!"

"Well we're here now, no one can see you. Jay, go lie him down while I get something to force feed him that medicine."

"Mal, don't you dare! Bad enough Jay carried me from the clubhouse but now I'm being _coddled_?!"

"Well if you'd taken it when I first gave it to you back at the clubhouse, I wouldn't need to do this!"

"Mal, they weren't necessary—seven hells, Jay! You did that on purpose you two bit pit pocket!"

"Still think they're not necessary?" Jay deadpanned.

"No pirate worth his salt takes pain medicine Jay! Besides, you _know_ I've had worse than this! You all are making way too big of a deal of a few bruised rib—oh for Poseidon's sake Jay! Stop jostling me!"

"I think we'd better get in there," Hades said softly.

"I think that might be a good idea," Persephone nodded and frowned as she heard the string of curse words that Harry was shouting. "He's not going to be teaching those to Hadie, is he?"

"Hopefully not."

The two Gods made their way to the spare room where Harry was laying down on the bed, glaring at Mal who was holding the bottle of pain medicine.

"No." Harry said firmly.

"Harry, you're clearly in pain if the curse words flowing from your mouth a few minutes ago were any indication," Mal said as Estelle hopped on the bed, once again resting his heads on Harry's leg. "Take the pills. There's no need for the tough guy act here."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Mal, you've refused pain medicine too!"

"Oh she's tried," Hades muttered.

Mal looked over her shoulder, having heard the mutter. "Hey dad. Here to make Harry take some pain meds?"

"If I need to Mali."

"Lord Hades, I'm fine," Harry said but the very act of shifting a bit caused most of the color to drain from his face and he had to hold back the swears he wanted to shout since there was a lady present. Two ladies if one counted Mal but Harry knew his co-captain would smack him if he called her a lady.

"Uh huh, sure you are," Persephone deadpanned.

Harry bit his lip to keep the swears at bay though Mal could have sworn she heard a whimper. It was a faint one, after all one didn't cry on the Isle, but it was there.

"Harry," she said softly, her heart breaking for her crew mate. "Just take the pills. No one is going to judge you for admitting you're in pain. Not here. It's the one safe place on the Isle other than the clubhouse."

"Harry, do I need to make it an order?" Uma asked, looking at the pirate. "You look half ready to pass out from the pain. Take the pills!"

Harry glowered but sighed. "Fine," he said softly. "But only because Uma's threatening to make it an order."

"Whatever makes those pills get into your system," Mal shrugged and shook out a couple of pills, handing them to Harry. Jay stood to the side holding a glass of water at the ready. Harry sighed but swallowed them down.

Jay handed Harry the glass of water. "Here," he said.

"Thanks guys," Harry muttered.

"You'd do the same for us Harry," Uma said. "Though we probably wouldn't be as stubborn."

Persephone walked up and sat gently on the bed. "Hold still Harry."

Harry stayed as still as he could but wasn't sure what Persephone was going to do.

"Hey, hey it's alright. I'm just going to see if we can tell if your ribs are actually broken," she said gently.

Harry nodded but still had to fight the urge to flinch away as Persephone reached for his shirt. He knew she would never hurt him like the Captain did but it was instinct at this point. However, it was still a weakness. If anyone outside the crew found out...

Persephone gave hm an understanding smile as she gently lifted his shirt. The smile turned into a frown as she saw the extent of the bruising on the side of the boy's torso. Even the makeshift wrap couldn't hide all the black and blue that was up and down Harry's left side. She didn't want to cause the young boy more pain.

"What's the verdict?" Mal asked.

Persephone sighed as she lowered Harry's shirt. "Unfortunately, I can't tell without an x-ray. Going by the state of the bruising though, I'd say it's better to err on the side of caution and act as if the ribs are broken. So Harry, unfortunately for you, that means no moving."

Harry frowned. "But—"

"No."

"But I've already missed one of my shifts—"

"Harry, no moving means _no_ moving," Persephone told him. "The last thing we'd want is for one of those ribs to pierce your lung if they're actually broken."

Harry sighed and shook his head. _Why do they insist on coddling me?_ He thought.

"Hey," Mal said gently. "You got us Harry. Anything you need, we can get for you. You're safe here."

Harry shook his head, wincing a bit as pain shot up his side once more. "Mal I couldn't ask you to do that. I've managed broken ribs before, you _know_ that."

"Well too bad because it's happening. You'd do it for us."

Harry looked straight at Mal. "Mal, I can't just stay in a bed all day."

"If it means you don't _die_ , then yes you can!"

"Mal, the Captain's not just going to let me laze about. He's already _furious_ about yesterday."

"Well it's just as well that you're not going back there then!"

Harry looked at Mal in confusion. "Where else would I go? The clubhouse? Wait, you're not saying I stay—?'

"Yes you idiot, I'm saying you stay here!" Mal told him. "You saved my life yesterday, it's only fair I make sure you don't end yours by trying to move with potentially broken ribs!"

"Mal, I can't stay here—"

"And why not?" Mal asked, crossing her arms. "We clearly have a bed we're not using. So stay. You know I'll just have Jay carry you back if you try to run."

Harry sighed. "Mal I can't just stay here."

"Why not?"

"I just can't Mal!" Harry said and winced. "I can take care of myself."

"You don't have to Harry!" Mal said and turned to Hades. "Dad, Harry can stay here right?"

"Of course."

Mal turned back to Harry. "See? Just stay here Harry! What else are you going to do? Go back to the Captain and _pretend_ like your ribs aren't potentially broken?"

Harry shrugged and winced once more.

"Harry, stop being stubborn," Uma said as Mal pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're in pain and have an offer of being able to heal without worrying about the Captain ruining the progress there!"

"I swear Harry, if the next words out of your mouth are 'I'm fine' or any variation, I'll have Jay hide your hook for the next _month_!" Mal growled as Harry opened his mouth.

"Don't look at me mate," Jay said, crossing his arms as Harry sighed. "You need this. I can look after Harriet and CJ, if you're worried about the Captain going after them. We will sort it out. You just need to stay."

"I hate all _three_ of you right now," Harry said with a glare.

"You matter to us too Harry," Mal smirked.

Harry scowled but sighed. "Fine, Mal, you win. But just until my ribs heal."

"That's all I'm asking. How are you feeling by the way? Those pain meds kick in yet?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, ribs still hurt though."

"That's to be expected," Persephone said gently. "You can have another dose of pain medicine in a couple of hours."

"Got to say, it's weird seeing you be so still," Jay said with a small smirk.

Harry scowled at him. "Not funny Jay. If I could move, I'd hit you. Actually, Mal, any chance you could hit Jay _for_ me?"

"Be nice Jay," Mal said, whacking him on the arm with a small smirk.

"Now that I could get used to," Harry said with a smirk of his own.

Uma chuckled and shook her head.

"Hey, I'm plenty nice Mal," Jay said. "After all, I could have carried Harry through the town square which is a direct path to the Underworld but is also the most heavily trafficked area."

"True."

Uma chuckled again. "I don't think Harry would have forgiven you if you'd done that Jay."

" _Harry_ is still in the room," Harry spoke up causing the other three to chuckle once more. "So that whole can't move thing? That wouldn't happen to count toward bathroom trips too?"

"We can make some allowances for that," Hades said.

Mal's eyes narrowed. "Harry, you wouldn't be asking because you're planning on making a run for it are you?"

"Mal, I promise, I really have to use the bathroom," Harry told her. "Not that that's not a brilliant plan by the way."

He sat up slowly and, being careful not to jostle his ribs too much, he got out of the bed. Making his way to the bathroom took more time than Harry wanted but he made it. He tried to not bite his lip, after all men and pirates didn't show they were in pain. Besides it wasn't that bad now—thanks in part to that pain medicine Mal made him take.

_Oh thank Gods,_ Harry thought as he went to the bathroom. He couldn't help but consider what Mal had said; about making a break for it. He sighed. _Staying here would only potentially put a large target on Mal and her family even if Mal's as tough as they came, I couldn't do that to her._

Sighing again, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly. "Mal'd just drag me back. Besides the Captain's a big cod fish toward anyone bigger than him. There's no way he'd go after Lord Hades," he muttered to himself and smiled slightly. He had definitely lucked out when it came to his crew.

He hobbled back slowly, inwardly cursing his ribs and his father all the while.

"You need any help?" Jay asked as Harry hobbled back into the bedroom.

"I'm good."

Mal shook her head. "How are all my friends so stubborn? Come here Harry."

"Mal, I'm fine. I don't need help," Harry told her.

"Uh huh right," Mal deadpanned as she nudged Harry onto the bed, earning a glare from the pirate. "Don't give me that look. I do have to give you credit, at least you didn't run off. Now get comfy."

Mal pulled the blanket around him and Estelle once again took his place by Harry's legs, his heads resting near his knee.

"Mal, you don't have to do that," Harry muttered.

"Hush. Captain's orders."

Harry sighed but did as he was told. He had to admit, this was comfy for the Isle at least. He would even allow himself a bit of coddling, even if he would never admit it to the others. His eyes shut against his will and Harry drifted off to sleep.

"You get some rest Harry," Uma said softly as the rest of the group shared a sad smile.

"Come on," Mal mouthed, gesturing for them to leave. The group left the room and made their way to the den, in case Harry needed them they'd still be close.

"Would anyone like a hot drink? Or some food?" Persephone offered.

Mal shrugged. "Guys?" She asked, looking at Uma and Jay.

"A hot drink would be nice. The water at Mama's place is mostly salt water," Uma said softly.

"Yeah, a hot drink sounds good," Jay nodded.

"Coming up," Hades said with a small smile.

Mal nodded as the adults made their way into the the kitchen to get the drinks before sighing softly. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. After all, the only reason Harry had abandoned his job at Hook's place yesterday was to save her life. Which was why she was going to make damn sure that Harry was alright. That all her crew would be alright. No matter what. She was co-captain after all. She'd do it anyway, even if Harry hadn't saved her life.

"You okay there Mal?" Jay asked.

"Hmmm?" Mal said as she looked over at Jay. "Yeah Jay, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Whatcha thinking about?" Uma asked.

"That you guys will be okay."

"Of course we will Mali," Uma said before sighing. "It's Harry I'm concerned about. Was it just me or was he more stubborn than usual?"

"Not just you."

"Yeah," Jay nodded. "You don't think Hook did something or threatened to do something if Harry accepted help, do you?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Uma growled. "I mean a little stubbornness is one thing but... I know we all have to grow up quickly on the Isle but if I have to hear the words 'men and pirates don't show pain' one more time, Hook's hook is going to find someplace a lot more interesting to live."

Mal nodded in agreement. "Well at least Harry won't have to worry about Hook until his ribs recover," she said before she sighed. "Isn't it bad enough Boreadon gives us horrible food? Did they have to forget to give us doctors as well?"

"I've stopped wondering about Boreadon, to be honest," Uma shrugged. "Staying alive's the mission around here. And hey, as I've said before, at least we get the most decent food there is. We could have it a lot worse."

"True," Mal nodded as Persephone and Hades walked back in, holding the hot drinks for the kids.

"It's just some weak tea but it's drinkable non-salted water, and it's warm," Hades said with a smile as he handed Uma her drink.

"Thanks Uncle Hades," Uma said as she took her tea and closed her eyes. There was something so comforting about being around her Uncle Hades and Aunt Steph. It was like having a second set of parents at times. After Mal had told her she was her cousin, it had been a joke that soon Aunt Steph would start fussing over Uma as much as she did Mal. A small part of her couldn't help but think that would be nice.

It was one of the reasons why Uma didn't understand why Harry put up such a fight coming to the Underworld. This was the one place where the adults were normal. Uma couldn't even let her walls down much around her dad, in case Ursula heard. Sure her dad cared but he only went as far to check that she'd eaten if they were alone or teach her to make sure she wasn't left behind on the Isle. Now that Celia was born, she got the majority of his attention.

Not that Uma would ever begrudge her baby sister their dad's attention but there was a reason why Uma spent more time at her Uncle Hades' than her dad's now. There was even a room set up for her in case she ever wanted to spend the night—the Underworld had a _lot_ of spare rooms for the home of someone who didn't like to entertain.

"You okay Uma?" Persephone said gently.

Uma nodded. "I'm okay, Aunt Steph. It's just...nice to have a safe place."

Persephone gave the young girl a sad smile. "You always have a place here as long as you want it. We have plenty of room and food."

"I know," Uma said with a smile. "Thanks Aunt Steph."

Persephone wished more than anything she could take the kids off the Isle with her when the six months came around, but that wouldn't be a life for the kids. Always hiding. It wasn't fair to them, but neither was life on the Isle. The adults had made their bed, why should the kids have to lie in it?

"Should someone check on Harry?" Jay asked. "He probably shouldn't roll over too much."

"I'll go," Mal said as she stood up. "I'll give a holler if he needs anything."

Mal went into the spare room where Harry was still sleeping. Leaning up against the doorframe, she couldn't help but sigh. Harry…what were they going to do with him?

"I can feel you lurking," Harry said softly, looking over at Mal as he woke up.

Mal gave him a small smile as she walked into the room. "Good. How're you feeling?"

Harry sighed, wincing as he tried to sit up. "As well as anyone with potentially broken ribs _can_ feel I guess."

"You need another dose? Or some food? When's the last time you ate?"

"Probably whatever we had for lunch yesterday," Harry said softly. "Getting kicked in the ribs repeatedly really kills your appetite and the clubhouse doesn't have food."

"Well we have food here. What would you like?"

She'd hold off on killing Captain Hook, Harry needed her attention now.

"Mal, really, you don't have to go through any trouble for me."

"Harry! Why are you being so stubborn?!"

"Oh this from the queen of stubbornness?" Harry asked and then sighed. "I know you're my captain Mal but I don't know why you're going through all this effort."

"Because I want to. Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same if it was reversed."

"Of course I would!" Harry exclaimed, as if offended Mal would imply otherwise. "But it's different Mal."

"How?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. "Because I'm a girl?"

Harry sighed. "Cause you actually have people who care," he muttered.

"So do you," Mal said softly, her heart sinking.

"Yeah, the Captain showed how much he cared last night," Harry muttered. "Face it Mal, the last person who truly cared about me died when the runt was born. Maybe I have Harriet but she can't do much against the Captain."

"I'm not talking about _Hook_ , Harry. I care. Uma cares. Jay cares. My parents care. We're the Rotten Four. Harry, if something happened to you, something we couldn't reverse…we wouldn't be the same. You're a part of our crew and we look after each other," Mal told him, ignoring his nickname for CJ. "So don't think we don't care about you or that we're going out of our way when we offer something. You'd do it for us no questions asked."

"Of course I would Mal," Harry said with a sigh. "You're my crew. What kind of a crew mate would I be if I didn't help if it was needed?"

"Exactly. So why shouldn't we do the same for you?"

Harry couldn't help but give a sad smile at that. He still didn't understand why Mal was going through all this effort but he wasn't going to lie, it felt nice.

"Now, back to my question, what would you like to eat? If the last time you had food was lunch, you've got to be hungry."

"Do…do you have any soup or something I could drink?" Harry asked, his voice soft. "With these ribs…"

"I'm sure mom can find you something," Mal said. "I'll be right back. Estelle can keep watch on you—I'm not surprised he's still here."

"He's been keeping my leg warm," Harry chuckled as Mal left the room to go back to the den, her hand curling up into a fist. If she wasn't nine, she'd go and give Hook what's for. Maybe use the Isle thinking she was the Dragon's spawn to her advantage!

She knew it was rough on the Isle, and that most of their parents didn't care about them but that didn't mean Harry deserved to have that confirmed! Sighing, she shook her head as she got to the den.

"Mom, what kind of soup do we got?"

"I think we have some chicken noodle soup left over from the restaurant," Persephone said, getting up.

"Can Harry have some? He wants something easy with his ribs."

Persephone nodded. "I'll go get it heated up right now."

"Thank you."

Persephone gave Mal a smile and went to the kitchen to get the soup heated up for Harry, Hades quickly following to give the kids some privacy.

"How is he?" Uma asked.

Mal sighed. "Physically, he's about the same. Emotionally…well let's just say the Captain's lucky I'm not older and off the Isle otherwise he'd be a charred sack of bones right now. He made one of _my_ crew feel worthless!"

"What?!" Uma growled and sat up. "Harry has to know how important he is, right?"

Mal sighed. "Not according to the talk I just had with him. Harry thinks no one cares about him since his mom died."

Uma stared at Mal, her mouth hanging down like a fish. "I—how—what— _how_ can he think that?"

"If I knew that, I'd tell you," Mal sighed, shaking her head. "But I think we found the reason why he's so stubborn when it comes to accepting our help."

Uma started to get up as if to march into the spare room. "What are we waiting for? We've got to show him how wrong he is. It's not like he can run from us with those ribs."

"Shouldn't we let him eat first?" Jay asked.

Uma sighed. "You're right Jay—I just don't like the idea that Harry's thinking he doesn't matter to us."

"I know," Jay said softly. "But if we just storm in there, Harry's just going to have his walls up. We need to think this through."

"What's there to think about?" Uma asked. "It's _Harry_ we're talking about. If it was any of us in that bed, feeling like that, he'd be leading the charge to show we were wrong."

Mal sighed but before she could respond, Persephone walked out of the kitchen holding the bowl of soup.

"Soup's ready," she told Mal.

"Thanks mom," Mal said as she took the bowl and went back to Harry's room. "Harry?"

"Yeah Mal?" Harry asked, looking over at her.

"Time to eat," she said, walking over to the bed.

Harry nodded and tried to sit up as best he could. "You're _not_ feeding me," he said, taking the bowl.

"As long as you can eat," Mal said with a shrug.

Harry nodded again and began to eat the soup, thankful it only seemed to bother his ribs a little. He licked his lips—the food he'd eaten at Lord Hades' restaurant seemed to be a lifetime ago.

"How is it?" Mal asked as Harry ate. Harry only nodded, too busy eating to talk. Mal couldn't help but smile, happy Harry was at least eating.

_Good. He needs it, especially since he hasn't eaten since lunch yesterday,_ Mal thought with a sad smile. _It's not fair! Why does Harry long to be just like the Captain when he hates the man?!_

If there was one person Mal couldn't see Harry being like, it was his father. Even if they _did_ have to patch up his wrist a couple of weeks ago because he tried to chop off his own hand so he could _truly_ need the hook.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Uma creep in to curl up on the bed while Jay stood in the doorway. Estelle lifted his right head, wagging his tail as he saw Uma.

"Uma?" Harry asked as he finished the soup, as if surprised she was still there.

"Yes?" Uma asked, looking at him like there was nothing out of the ordinary as she scratched Estelle behind the ears.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing," he muttered.

Mal couldn't help but smile slightly as she walked over and sat on the bed next to Uma while Jay stayed in the doorway.

"Guys…"

"Yes?" Mal, Uma and Jay said innocently.

Harry shook his head again. "Nothing."

"That's the second time you've done that Harry," Jay said, walking into the room. "What's up?"

"Nothing…I'm just surprised you guys are so worried over this."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Uma asked. "You're part of our crew Harry, and crews stick together."

"Even if they have the stupid notion that we shouldn't worry about them," Jay muttered.

Harry sighed. "Jay, don't you still have your dad's quota to fill? Why are you wasting time—?"

"So I get locked out and have to sleep at the clubhouse tonight and avoid him for a few days. No big deal."

"Jay!" Harry exclaimed. "You're not getting locked out of your house because of me!"

Jay shrugged, as if he'd already made up his mind about the whole thing.

"Jay, don't be stupid," Mal said. "Stay here if you get locked out. We can have a sleepover in Harry's room. As Harry pointed out, unfortunately, the clubhouse doesn't have anywhere to keep food long term. At least if you stay here, you'll get fed."

"Sounds cool," Jay said with a shrug.

"I'm sorry, my _what_?" Harry asked, looking at Mal.

"Your room."

"Mal, you can't be serious about that!"

"Do I look like I'm joking? You're staying here anyway. Why not just make this your room? Uma has one across the hall anyway."

"Because—"

"Because?" Mal repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm…not a god."

"Yeah so?" Mal asked. "The only cool Gods are mom and dad anyway."

"Hmm, Grandfather's not that bad," Uma pointed out.

"Okay true," Mal nodded. "But we can agree that Zeus is the _worst_ right?"

"Agreed!"

"Ah the sound of my daughter trashing my brother," Hades said as he walked into the room. "Music to my ears."

Mal couldn't help but giggle at that.

"I just came in to see if you all needed anything," Hades told them, scooping up Harry's empty soup bowl.

"Any idea on how to get Harry to put some value on himself?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mal, you don't have to make a big deal out of this," Harry muttered. Mal just looked at him, the eyebrow still raised.

"What?" Harry asked, noticing the eyebrow.

Mal rolled her eyes. "How many times are we going to have to say it? You. Matter. To. Us."

"Okay. Okay."

"Oh that's convincing," Uma said, rolling her eyes. "Uncle Hades, seriously, any chance you know how to get stubborn pirates to know their value?"

Hades shook his head. "Girls, it's not going to happen overnight."

"Thank you sir, don't encourage them," Harry muttered. Hades frowned, he hadn't been expecting that. The boy was nine after all. Then again, that didn't stop Hook from potentially breaking Harry's ribs. All the kids could really do is be there.

"How're your ribs feeling?" Hades asked, looking over at the young pirate.

"Better," Harry told him, thankful for the subject change.

Hades nodded. "If you need any more pain relief, let me know."

"Yes sir."

"Okay. I'll be in the other room if you kids need anything," Hades said.

"Thanks dad."

Hades gave a small, sad smile before heading back to the den holding Harry's empty soup bowl.

"How is he?" Persephone asked as she looked over at Hades.

"Better, or so he says. I'm more worried about him emotionally rather than physically right now.

"Hades, his father potentially broke his ribs. That's not something he'll forget overnight," Persephone said with a frown.

"I know."

"Plus he's staying here until his ribs heal remember? If something's bothering him, he can tell us."

"True," Hades nodded. That didn't mean he had to like the idea of Harry suffering. He had saved Mal's life after all—and even if he hadn't, he was one of Mal's minions and clearly was loyal to his daughter. If there was one thing Hades could appreciate, it was loyalty. Unfortunately, solving emotional trauma wasn't something that could be done overnight.

"You okay?" Persephone asked, looking over at Hades.

"Yeah."

Meanwhile, back in Harry's room, the aforementioned pirate couldn't believe how stubborn his crew was being. He didn't matter this much, not so much that Jay was going to risk getting locked out of his house for him. He sighed softly.

"You okay Harry?" Mal asked, having heard the sigh. "Need any more pain meds?"

Uma stroked Harry's hair as they looked over at him.

Harry shook his head, slightly pleased by the attention from _Uma_ of all people though he didn't know why. "I'm fine guys. I'm comfortable."

"You're sure?" Mal asked. "I can easily run out to the kitchen if you need anything."

"Mal I'm _fine_. Honestly I don't know why you keep asking."

"Because if I don't, it's not like you'll tell us!"

"Because I know my own pain tolerance Mal!"

Mal couldn't help but give a sad smile at that. "You shouldn't have to though Harry."

"Yeah well, this is the Isle Mal," Harry muttered. "How many times has Maleficent smacked you around?"

"Thanks for the reminder," Mal grumbled. "Gods, I wish we could stick King Beastie on the Isle just so he could see what it's like."

"You're not the only one Mali," Uma grumbled.

"Gods, I wonder what counts as a problem in Boreadon?" Jay asked, leaning on the headboard.

"The dinner being cooked wrong," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"The servants missing a spot dusting," Uma scoffed.

"A princess broke a nail," Mal shook her head.

"A prince got his suit dirty," Jay sighed, joining in on the fun. Mal shook her head again.

"There's a reason why we call the place 'Boreadon' after all," she scoffed and Uma rolled her eyes in agreement.

"What's the first thing you guys would do if you ever got off the Isle?" Jay asked.

"Test out my powers in the ocean."

"See how big I can get my fireball."

"Get a ship and go sailing," Harry said with a small smile at the thought of being free to do that. "Let me guess Jay, you'd just steal a bunch of stuff."

"Although that stuff would have actual value, not the junk we have here on the Isle," Jay pointed out. "And I wouldn't have to give any of it to dad for him to sell. I could actually get myself a place and wouldn't have to swipe food."

"We all could," Mal sighed. "Imagine, not having to live in a place run by Maleficent."

"Has she heard about Freddy pushing you in?" Uma asked and Mal shook her head.

"The smoke obscured his face," she said. "If I hadn't heard him talk, even _I_ wouldn't have known it was Freddy. But it's only been a day. Her spies are everywhere-she'll hear. Whether or not she'll do anything is another thing. All she'll know is that I fell into the water. Like I said, the smoke covered his face."

"I still say he needs to pay. "

"Well until those ribs heal, you won't be doing anything," Mal told him.

Harry sighed. "Anyone else think it was extra cruel of King Beastie to put the Isle within view of Boreadon? It's like putting what we can't have just out of reach," he muttered, clearly trying to change the subject.

"I hate to give Beastie the benefit of the doubt but I don't think they expected the villains to have kids," Mal sighed.

"But if they didn't expect the villains to have kids, why have the registry?" Harry asked. He knew all about it, having been on the receiving end of Mal's rants on the subject. "Why need to count people if you weren't expecting there to be more?"

"Harry's got a point," Jay muttered. "If they knew we could exist, why'd they leave us here?"

"Because we're villains," Mal said simply. "Or at least born to villains. That's all the reason they need."

"Well we're never getting off the Isle so what's the point of wondering?" Uma asked.

"Wistful thinking?"

"Yeah," Jay sighed. "Still it's nice to imagine even if it'll never happen. And, as we keep saying, we have a fairly decent life here anyway. It's not all bad."

"It could always be worse," Uma nodded.

"We just need to keep on Mal's good side," Harry said with a slight chuckle.

Mal rolled her eyes. "You all saved my life, idiots. I think you're permanently on my good side for that."

They all chuckled at that, and Mal couldn't help but smile as she heard Harry chuckle. It was good to hear him laugh. He'd be okay and they'd be there for him no matter what.

The four of them snuggled up into a huddle; Mal, Jay and Uma taking care to lie in a spot that wouldn't jostle Harry's ribs.

_I seriously lucked out,_ Harry thought as Mal rested her head on his shoulder. They had one of the best crews on the Isle and all they needed was a few years and they'd be the best crew on the Isle. No one would dare cross them—they would rule the Isle.

"Harry?" Mal asked, looking at him. "You okay? You're awfully quiet."

Harry nodded and Mal smiled and relaxed. She knew this moment would have to end but part of her wished it didn't have to. Moments like these were rare. They also had the added benefit of showing Harry that they cared without the other three sounding like a broken record.

"Guys, why don't you all try to sleep? It's warm in here," Mal said softly.

"Okay Mal," Uma said softly as she scooted down to get a little bit more comfortably. Mal couldn't help but smile softly as she watched as Jay also got comfortable and one by one, her crew drifted off to sleep. Even Estelle was sleeping, his heads split between Harry and Uma's legs. Mal smiled as she too closed her eyes. Soon the room was filled with the soft snores of four sleeping VKs and one sleeping Cerberus.

Sound asleep in the safest place they could be.


	28. Chapter 28

Time trickled by, as time often did, and before the kingdom of Auradon knew it twenty years had passed since the creation of their kingdom. Honestly, the citizens didn't know what was harder to believe—that their kingdom was twenty years old or that their prince was now sixteen and of age to take the throne.

Said prince, though, wasn't curled up in bed or lounging as one might expect a prince to be at the early morning hours of six am. No, the prince had fallen asleep at his desk located in his office at Auradon Prep; piles of paperwork acting as his pillow.

_Wake up Ben. Wake up Ben. Wake up Ben._

"I'll kill them, I'll kill them, I'll kill them," Ben muttered as he reached for his phone. He didn't know how or when but he _knew_ his best friends had been the ones to set that alarm on his phone.

Granted their voices on the alarm were a dead giveaway but still.

"Seriously? You had to go off right when I was in the middle of _that_ dream?" Ben sighed as he looked at his phone. He had been having the same dream since he was about fourteen or fifteen, about a beautiful purple haired girl with glowing green eyes on the Isle of the Lost. She never said her name but her voice…her voice was like a gift from the Gods.

Ben shook his head a little to clear it as he continued to wake up. He was spoken for. He shouldn't even be _dreaming_ about other girls—even fictional ones. He had been 'off the market' so to speak ever since he was three and his parents signed the betrothal contract with the Roses.

Sure Audrey had been his best friend at the time and sure, sometimes it was better to not argue with Leah and just go along with what she wanted, but Ben had to admit it was a little…trying at times, being in the relationship. Of course it didn't help that _all_ his friends seemed to hate Audrey, with maybe the exception of Chad. There wasn't a day that went by when Emir or Akiho weren't trying to get him to break the contract.

Quickly pulling his phone to him, he shot a quick text to Chip. Nothing major, but Ben figured he should know that he had the dream again considering he'd gone to his surrogate older brother the first time he'd had the dream.

He didn't expect a reply, after all it _was_ six in the morning and if there was one thing Chip loved more than anything it was his sleep. Ben used to joke that maybe he was Akiho's long lost brother, the way he coveted sleep so much.

"Let's take a look at today's schedule," Ben muttered, pulling out his planner. Thankfully, it was a fairly light day being a Saturday. Not even a single council meeting, which Ben couldn't help but be surprised by. Then again, today _was_ his suit fitting for coronation.

_Dad probably thought it'd be more relaxing if I didn't have a lot of stuff today,_ Ben thought as he put his planner back in his desk drawer. But Ben was so used to a busy schedule that down time was pretty much a foreign concept to him. It happened so rarely after all. Tapping his fingers on his desk, Ben bit his lip as he tried to think of something to fill his time.

_I could read…no I don't have anything new. Video games? Nah, that'd just make me risk being late for the fitting. Plus Emir and Akiho are visiting their parents today. All the best games I have are multiplayer anyway. Go for a run? My MP3 player's dead. Forgot to charge it last night. Go for a swim? No, same risks as with the video games. The last thing I need is to lose track of time and be late for the suit fitting._

Suddenly, an idea struck him like a bolt of lightning—he could finalize the kids for the VK initiative he was going to propose to his father later that day. It didn't make sense that they were trapped on an Isle all alone when they were Auradon citizens too. Shouldn't they have the same access everyone else had available to them? What right did Auradon have to forget them?

Quickly booting up his computer, and briefly wondering why his dad didn't just _digitize_ the paperwork needed for coronation, Ben pulled up the digital version of the registry. It was one of their first ever attempts at going digital, made when Ben was about eight years old. Hephaestus had suggested it, as the God of Technology—plus it was a safer way to keep their records secure.

The citizens of the Isle of the Lost couldn't hack into the digital version should they somehow escape, the way they could steal or destroy the physical copy. That was Hephaestus' reasoning and Ben's father had agreed.

However, because Beast wasn't as technologically literate as the kids were, the digital version of the registry didn't get updated as often as the physical version—only updated when a child was born on the Isle, to match their written records.

That wasn't something, though, that was known to the young crown prince so Ben hurriedly looked through the records, trying to find four kids who would need their help the most. After all, four was a nice small number that might reassure anyone who had their doubts.

_Should I start small, maybe bring in the kids of sidekicks?_ Ben thought as he pursued through the registry and then shook his head. The whole idea was to provide help to the kids who Auradon forgot. As Lonnie always told him, go big or go home. If the program failed, it may be these kids' only shot to see Auradon.

Besides, ignoring powerful villains could be dangerous. He had heard of the kingdom of Udrogoth where the king and queen had left to battle the evil that plagued their land, leaving their eldest daughter in charge. Their kingdom was constantly under siege by their resident villain, the Dark Lord Chuckles.

Many people say it was unfortunate that Udrogoth never joined Auradon, otherwise the Dark Lord Chuckles would be trapped behind the barrier with the other villains. Ben's only question was how a pig became a dark lord in the first place.

_Okay let's focus. We only have so much time before the fitting,_ Ben thought and brought his attention back to the computer _. Hmm…Cruella DeVil's son might be a good pick, a sort of 'weaker' villain as it were. Evil Queen's daughter, I hope Queen Snow won't mind. Jafar's son, that one may be a bit tricker if he's inherited Jafar's genie abilities but nothing we can't work with. Now…who'll be my fourth?_

Pursuing the records, Ben couldn't help but sigh. There were _so_ many kids on the Isle, how could he pick just one more kid to come to Auradon? But he knew people would be hesitant to agree to even _four_ kids coming to Auradon—any more and he could potentially kiss the VK initiative goodbye.

Ben had to pause though as he reached Maleficent's page. According to the records, she had a daughter. Her magical abilities would definitely cause others to have concerns since it was a lot more likely Maleficent's daughter would have magic than Jafar's son, but Ben didn't care. He didn't know why, but he knew the daughter of Maleficent would be a good fit.

_Perfect! That way there'll be two girls and two guys, shoulders to lean on so to speak. If they need it of course. I mean I know my friends will be perfectly welcoming but they might want to be around someone from their home to start with._

Ben knew his dad wouldn't like the idea of Maleficent's daughter coming to Auradon—after all she was the most evil villain of them all. But her daughter wasn't. Her daughter didn't ask to be born to Maleficent just like Ben didn't ask to be born the crown prince. It was a matter of fate.

Giving a small nod, Ben reached for a pad of paper so that he could note down the names of the four kids.

_Carlos, Evelyn, Jay, and…Mal._

For some reason, a small shiver went up Ben's spine when he thought the last name. He shook his head once more, he was probably just tired. Or excited that he finally had finalized his idea to propose to his parents. If they approved, he could get the invitations sent out within the week!

Considering this was a trial program, and that it would be _his_ proclamation, Ben knew he could get away with not going to the council. _This_ time. Any more kids would require a council vote, and Ben knew that could get delayed if any particular members of the council disapproved of the idea. And Ben knew of _three_ who would _definitely_ delay the vote to bring more kids from the Isle, and one person in particular who would make it next to impossible if she so chose.

Hence why Ben was sticking through the betrothal contract—well that and it was a promise. Ben wasn't big on breaking promises. A king should stick to his word after all.

Sighing, Ben logged out of the digital registry and went back to work on the paperwork he'd fallen asleep on. He had about an hour to kill before his suit fitting, might as well get as much paperwork done as he could before then. At least then it would be paperwork he wouldn't have to do tonight.

A buzzing from his phone distracted Ben though and he quickly answered. "Hello?"

"You texted me at six in the _morning_?!"

"Hello to you too Chip," Ben chuckled. "I'm doing fine, thanks for asking."

Even though he couldn't see him, Ben knew Chip was rolling his eyes. "You're far too chipper this morning…and really? You texted me because you had that dream again?"

"What? Is it normal to have a dream more than once?"

"Well yes, at least according to Aurora. But she also says if you dream something more than once it's sure to come true. Maybe this means you'll finally meet your mystery girl."

"Chip, you know I can't. I'm with Audrey."

"You sound so enthused about that too."

"Chip, come on! She's…she's not that bad."

Ben couldn't help but wince a little at that. It sounded weak even to him. He was supposed to be defending his girlfriend and it sounded like he was half heartedly recommending a restaurant.

"Ben, I love you but I don't know how you can just stay in that relationship."

"Because if I don't, Leah would make all our lives hell?"

"Oh. That…that's an excellent point. But it shouldn't be one that you should deal with. You should be out having fun with your friends, enjoying the Tourney season."

Ben sighed. "We've got the championship game coming up. Not much left of the season to enjoy. Besides, I've got to quit the team after that game anyway."

"Excuse me? _Why_?"

"Coronation's in a month, Chip. You really think the others teams would be okay playing a team that had a _king_ on it? We'd be disqualified in a heartbeat, or worse we'd get a rep for having the refs side with us because I was on the team. Even if it wasn't true."

Chip sighed. "I hate that you're right. But I also hate the fact that you've got to give up Tourney Ben. You love it. Anyone with eyes can see it."

"A king—"

"Don't give me that crap. You're more than just a king you know—not to mention you're not king _yet_. Besides, if you're going to still be a student then I see no reason why you can't stay on the team."

Ben couldn't help the sad smile that formed on his face. His team had given the same speech when he had to tell them he was stepping down from his position as captain. Emir and Akiho had nearly locked him in the art room until he changed his mind. Well that was until Chad talked them down—to everyone's surprise.

_Well, everyone's surprise but mine,_ Ben thought. _After all, Chad and I have been friends since infancy—Emir and Akiho may be my closest friends but they're not my oldest friends._

"You still there Ben?"

"What? Oh yeah, sorry Chip. Just thinking."

"Well don't hurt yourself there," Chip chuckled. "We can catch up after your suit fitting. I'm sure your mom's going to tear up at the sight of you in it. Well, if you wore anything _other_ than suits."

"I own other clothes Chip!"

"Yes. You just don't wear them is the thing. Though maybe that's a good thing—that blue and gold plaid blazer over your orange and blue striped polo that you wore when you were twelve was an eye sore many people want to forget."

"Ha ha," Ben said dryly. "I'm going to let you go now, unless you've got any other critiques about my clothing?"

"No, that was pretty much it Benji. But I will say this."

"Yes?"

"Stop texting me at six in the morning!"

Ben chuckled. "Duly noted Chip. I'll text you at five next time."

"Ben!"

"I kid, I kid! I'll catch you later Chip. Don't do anything strange in the meantime, like say create a megaphone by using string, a squirrel and an already made megaphone."

"That was one time! I spent too much time around your grandfather!"

Ben chuckled as he hung up the phone. Quickly straightening up his desk, Ben smoothed out his shirt as he stood up. Grabbing his jacket, he buttoned it up before fishing a comb out of his desk drawer and ran it through his hair.

Before he could leave his office, though, his stomach rumbled with the reminder that he'd missed dinner the night before.

_I should really grab some breakfast…oh but the suit fitting's in fifteen minutes. There's no time._

"Your sandwich delivery has arrived!" A familiar voice called from the other side of his door.

"You are a life saver," Ben said as he opened the door to find one of his two best friends.

"More like I'm just used to it at this point," Akiho sighed and handed Ben a turkey and ham sandwich. "What's this, the tenth time this year?"

"I think eleventh but who's counting?"

"You are apparently," Akiho chuckled as Ben dug into the sandwich. "Ben, ever thought about getting a vending machine for your office? Or even just a mini fridge so we could load it up when you get into your paperwork mania?"

"Akiho, you can see how small my office is," Ben said, gesturing behind him. "I move into dad's office in a month anyway. There's not really any point in getting those things when it'd just be something for someone to move."

Akiho shook his head. "This happens again Ben, and I'm going to coach. You're our captain, you can't be falling asleep at your desk all the time. Especially not with the game against Sherwood coming up."

"I know how important the Sherwood game is Akiho," Ben sighed. "It's my last game after all."

"So you know coach'll bench you if he thinks you're sleep deprived."

"Which I'm not."

"The five minutes you spent ranting in French the other day prove otherwise. Not to mention that's the same suit you had on yesterday when you disappeared to this here office." Akiho told him. "Of course this could all be solved if you'd—"

"You know why I can't," Ben sighed. "Dude, it's too early for you to go into a 'why I should dump Audrey' rant. I've heard your reasonings. About a hundred times."

"Okay, okay," Akiho sighed. "All I'm saying Ben is you can do better."

Ben's mind flashed to his mystery purple haired girl and briefly, he couldn't help but hope she was real.

"Yeah well," Ben shook his head before looking at his watch. "Oh man! Sorry Akiho I've got to run!"

"Suit fitting?"

"Yep!"

"Finish the sandwich on the way."

"Yes mom," Ben teased and dodged the punch Akiho aimed for his shoulder. Ben chuckled and made his way over to Beast Castle where his fitting was scheduled. He assumed that it was because there was more of a guarantee there'll be privacy in case either one of his parents wanted to have a word with him.

Ben knew it was more than likely that his friends would eavesdrop if the fitting was done over at the school.

"Ah your highness, please come in," the tailor stated, sounding extraordinary cheerful. Though it probably wasn't every day he got to do this sort of thing. Design a coronation outfit, he meant. Ben knew the tailor—the man had made all his suits for all the events Ben had gone to since he was six.

"Hey Ken," Ben smiled as he entered his room. "How've you been?"

"Very well your highness. I hope you've been well yourself?"

Ben nodded and quickly got up on to the stand so that Ken could take his measurements. Honestly, Ben wasn't going to lie—he hated his part. But he'd been through it enough times to know that it was better to just stand still and think of Auradon while it happened. He learned quickly when he was younger—the more you complained, the longer it took.

He couldn't help but turn his head and look out the window toward the Isle. He wondered what the four kids he selected were like. Would they be like their parents or would they be more like the kids in Auradon?

"Sleeve. Head. Ah-ha!" Ken stated, turning Ben's head away from the window as he worked to get the measurements. Ben couldn't help but smile a little as his parents walked in to his room from the patio.

"How is it possible you're going to be crowned king next month? You're just a baby," Beast said.

"He's turning sixteen, dear," Belle corrected him and Ben chuckled.

"Hey pops."

"Sixteen? That's far too young to be crowned king. I didn't make a good decision until I was at least forty two!"

Ben fought the urge to roll his eyes—his dad had made that same joke every day for about a year. Though hearing it again only caused the nerves he'd built up to spiral into a ball in his stomach. If his dad hadn't made a good decision until forty two, what did that say about the VK initiative Ben was about to propose?

"Uh, you decided to marry me at twenty eight," Belle stated, breaking into Ben's thoughts.

"Ah, it was either you or a teapot. Kidding!"

Ben sighed. It was really now or never to propose his proclamation to his parents.

"Mom, dad…"

_Okay, maybe I shouldn't have moved forward there,_ Ben thought as Ken made a few utterances. Though Ben couldn't help it—when he had an idea, he got antsy.

"I've chosen my first official proclamation," he continued as Belle and Beast looked at Ben to give him their full attention. "I've decided that the children on the Isle of the Lost should be given a chance to live here. In Auradon. Every time I look out to the island…I feel like they've been abandoned. They're Auradon citizens after all yet they're kept separate from us."

"The children of our sworn enemies? Living among us?" Beast exclaimed and Ken quickly left the room, closing the door to give the royal family their privacy.

"We'll start off with a few at first," Ben said quickly. "Just four, and we can bring more over as the first four acclimate to Auradon. I've…I've already chosen them."

"Have you?"

Belle rested a hand on Beast's arm. "I gave you a second chance," she said gently before turning to Ben. "Who are their parents?"

Ben swallowed softly before speaking. "Cruella DeVil, Jafar, the Evil Queen…and Maleficent."

_Well who didn't see this coming?_ Ben thought wryly as Beast's face almost seemed to cloud over with rage. Ben knew his father wasn't going to like the idea of Maleficent's child being in Auradon. But Ben was determined now. The children deserved a shot at a life in Auradon.

"Maleficent! She's the worst villain in the land!"

"Dad, just hear me out here!" Ben said.

"I won't hear of it! They are guilty of unspeakable crimes!"

"Dad, their children are innocent!" Ben stated. "Don't you think they deserve a shot at a normal life? Dad?"

_After all, if you hadn't been put in power, I could have wound up a child of the Isle of the Lost. I'm not quite sure kidnapping a man, imprisoning him, imprisoning his daughter in exchange and keeping her hostage really scream 'hero' to the more conservative royals._

"I suppose…that their children are innocent," Beast said rather reluctantly as if he had heard Ben's thoughts.

Belle smiled and rested a hand on Ben's arm. "Well done," she said softly. "We can get the invitations sent out by week's end."

"I can take care of that mom," Ben said.

"Are you sure?" Belle asked, brushing some hair out of Ben's face. "You don't look like you're getting enough sleep Ben. The last thing I want is for you to tire yourself out this close to coronation."

"Championship game's coming up," Ben told her. "Coach has been running us a little bit more ragged than usual. Once the game's done, I'll be fine."

"Well if you're sure dear," Belle said with a small smile. "We can have Lumiere post them as soon as they're ready."

Ben nodded and Belle turned to her husband.

"Shall we?"

Ben watched as his parents left the room and he couldn't help but stare back at the window toward the Isle of the Lost. Twisting his signet ring, he sighed.

_Am I making the right choice here? Maybe different villains…no. Those are the four I want. Dad was just shocked. I'm sure the rest of Auradon will welcome them warmly—they're just kids after all._

Moving to his desk, as Ken had left the room when his dad had started shouting, Ben pulled out his quill and parchment to start writing the invitations. He had some kids to get off that Isle after all.


	29. Chapter 29

A week went by and the invitations were posted, just as promised. Mal stared at the invitation in her hand in shock. Somehow, it had been delivered to Ursula's Chip Shoppe rather than Maleficent's castle or the Underworld. Mal honestly suspected Harry had something to do with that, considering all four of the invitations were there. Speaking of those invitations...

"Wait a minute," Mal said slowly as she looked at the other envelopes. "None of these have your name on them Uma. Or your's Harry."

"Yeah we noticed that too," Uma nodded. "But who cares Mali? Boreadon wants _you_!"

"No, no, no, no!" Mal said, shaking her head. "I'm not going! Not if half my gang's left behind! I'm not going to leave you two here to defend the turt while I go to some boarding school filled to the brim with prissy pink princesses!"

"Mal, hang on a minute. Just take a moment to think this through," Uma said softly, looking thoughtful while Harry just looked at her like she was crazy.

"Uma there's nothing to think through!" Mal exclaimed, whirling around to face her. "You're my _cousin_! Harry's my crew! I won't leave you two behind! Especially just because Boreadon's asking-if they want me then why didn't they ask before?"

She looked through the invitations once more and scowled as she noticed one of the names on the envelopes.

"Look! This one's addressed to Blueberry! DeVil is _tolerable_ since we put him under our protection but _Blueberry_? You really think Jay and I would rather leave you two behind and pal around with _them_?"

"Uma, really, how can you think this is a good idea?" Harry asked. "We'd be splitting the crew and Mal and Jay would be off in Boreadon without our protection."

"Because if you two would _think_ for a moment, this is a chance to get through the barrier without having to battle all of Boreadon's forces! Hell, by the looks of things, they'll open it for Mal and Jay!"

"Oh joy they're letting four kids off the Isle," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "I've got you guys here and Hadie! I'm sure Jay would agree too, we're not going to Boreadon without you!"

"Mal, at the very least we need to go tell Uncle Hades about this. I think he should know."

"You'll have to _drag_ me to dad then Uma, because I am never and I mean never going to Boreadon."

"Fine then," Uma said and grabbed Mal's arm and began to pull her out of the Chip Shoppe's back room. "Harry, grab the letters."

"What? No! Uma!" Mal exclaimed as her cousin began to actually drag her out of the restaurant, reminiscent of when they were seven. They may have had better access to food than most of the other kids on the Isle but they were still Isle kids-therefore Mal was fairly light for her age and Uma could drag her with ease, being a smidge taller. Harry could only laugh and do as he was told. Such a scene had become common on Hades' side of the Isle, so much so that no one really questioned it.

It helped that by now, Mal's crew basically _ran_ Hades' side of the Isle with the help of the Warf Rats. The children on their side of the Isle knew by now that there was one rule you didn't break— _don't_ question Mal's crew.

"Uncle Hades! We have some news we think you should hear!" Uma called over Mal's protests as they walked into the Underworld.

"What is it?" Hades asked, coming out of the kitchen as he'd been trying a new recipe for the restaurant.

"Dad, ignore her!" Mal shouted, struggling against Uma's grip but she had a grip like an octopus when she was determined. "She's gone insane!"

"Mal, while I care for you and your loyalty to us, I'm _not_ insane. You're not _thinking_ clearly about this," Uma told her before looking over at Hades. "It seems Boreadon is under new management or something. Mal and Jay have been invited off the Isle."

"What?!" Hades exclaimed, looking over at Mal. "Mali, is this true?"

Mal shrugged. "Yeah. Now tell Uma it's a crazy idea and that I'm not going! Oh, and tell her to let go of my wrist!"

"Wait, wait, Uma's right Mal. Let's think about this, oh and Uma let her go before she starts hitting you like when you girls were younger. Now, who _exactly_ invited them off?"

"Harry, show Uncle Hades the letters," Uma said as she slowly released Mal. Harry walked slowly up to Hades.

"It's true, sir, there's one for each of them. Oh, and DeVil and Blueberry too," he said as he handed Hades the envelopes.

Hades took the envelopes from Harry, setting the ones for DeVil and Evil Queen's daughter aside, before opening up Mal's invitation and reading it. "Seems you've been invited off the Isle by Prince Ben."

"Great, we know who it is," Mal said with an eye roll as Jay slipped into the Underworld and joined the group. She'd wonder where he had been later—there were more pressing issues. "Now, can we stop entertaining this crazy notion that I'm going to Boreadon? My home is here."

"Mal, think about this. He has invited _you_ and three other kids off the Isle. That could mean he could be talked into doing it again," Hades told her.

"Dad, wouldn't that still happen if Blueberry and DeVil went by themselves?" Mal asked. "I'm not leaving Uma and Harry. Or you! Dad, if I went to Boreadon, I'd never see you again!"

"Mal, again, think about it. If you can get into the Princeling's good books, we could start getting _actual_ food around here. I mean, I love Uncle Hades' food but he can only do so much with what Boreadon sends us," Uma said. " _Boreadon_ , the land on the other side of the bridge wants Jay and wants _you_! Go there, show them they were wrong about the VKs! You don't have to leave us for long if Boreadon decides to invite others!"

"Why should I show them _anything_ Uma? They kept us kids on the Isle when we didn't do _anything_ , never sent us any decent food and basically ignored us! What, now that their pampered prince feels guilty or something, I'm supposed to drop everything and go skip on over to Boreadon? This is insane!"

"Mal, as much as I don't want you to go, think about it. If you can make the prince your ally, you could pave the way for the others you want to come over there. You could have Uma, Harry, even Hadie," Hades told her.

"You know, it's no fun when you two gang up on me," Mal muttered. "Dad, I'm your _daughter_. Shouldn't you be on my side?"

"If it helps Mal, I want you to stay," Harry said. "How can I keep you out of trouble if you're in Boreadon?"

"Mali, the last thing I want is for you to leave but if there's even a small chance of one of my kids having the life they deserve then I'm not going to sit here have let her throw it away," Hades said, ignoring Harry's comment. "Your loyalty to your crew is admirable honey but as I said, you could have them over there with you with just a little bit of patience."

"Dad, they don't want _me_ ," Mal said. "They want _Maleficent's_ daughter. Look, it even says so on the envelope. I'm _not_ Maleficent's daughter. I'm not Maleficent's anything! I'm _mom's_ daughter! Maleficent's daughter has been dead since I was nine years old!"

Hades sighed. "It's clear that Auradon doesn't check the registry anymore or they'd have seen the update. Regardless, they're still asking for you Mal. Don't turn down your chance to leave the Isle because of semantics. This is your chance to get out of here, to have a good life—"

"I _have_ a good life dad! I have access to food, parents who aren't _crazy_. I rule the Isle—both your half and the Dragon's by virtue of association! _Why_ would I give that up?"

"Mal, if you were off the Isle you'd have access to good food, food that wasn't rotten, doctors if you needed one and you'd be able to spend time in the sun! If your mother was here and not in Auradon, she'd tell you the same thing."

"Mal, Uncle Hades is right. You're throwing away a golden opportunity because of a name on a letter. Think about what you could do for the Isle by being off it! You're going, end of story!"

"Uma, I'm not going! If Boreadon wants me so badly then they can ask for the daughter of Lady Persephone!" Mal shot back. "The Dragon's daughter has been dead—unofficially since age five but officially since age nine!"

"Mal, think about it! You'd be another voice for the the Isle! You could get us food, maybe even a medical system! You could get us off the Isle! Do you want Hadie stuck here the rest of his life?"

"Uma, if they don't know the registry's updated do you really think they'll listen to me? They'd just see me as the Dragon's spawn." Mal said with a frown. "And no fair using Hadie! Of course I don't want him on this Isle for the rest of his life!"

"Low blow or not, it may be the only way to get you to think this through! If you won't go for yourself, then go for your little brother! Go for us! You need to go! Captain's orders!"

"Uma! You can't play that card! Not with me—I'm co captain remember?" Mal exclaimed before picking up the invitations again. "I'm going to state again, they're inviting Jay, DeVil and _Blueberry_! DeVil's grown on me since we brought him under our protection but if you think I'm spending the rest of my life with only Blueberry to talk to as a VK girl, you're out of your mind! I'm not leaving you and Harry here by yourselves Uma!"

"Mal, we will be fine. Someone needs to hold the turf, and it's not like you're going to going to disappear off into the sun and forget about us right?"

"Well…no. Because I'm not going anywhere. The Isle is my home Uma!"

"And your home needs you to go across that bridge!"

"Jay's going to have to drag me across that bridge Uma because I'm not going!" Mal growled, digging her feet in. Estelle trotted over and sat next to her, looking at the group in slight confusion.

"That can be arranged Mal, do you want to test me?"

"You wouldn't dare Uma!"

"Try me. You can either get into that limo willingly or unwillingly but you are going for our future and the Isle's future! You're going!"

"You'd have to catch me first Uma! Because there is no way in the Underworld am I willingly going into that limo! End. Of. Story!"

Uma sighed and shook her head. "Alright, you leave me no choice Mal. _Jay_! Grab her!"

"Jay don't you dare—put me down this instant!"

Jay sighed. "Sorry Mali. No can do. Captain's orders."

"I'm your _co-captain_! This is mutiny! _Dad_! A little help here!"

"I'll go pack your bag Mal. Don't worry, Hadie and Estelle will be well taken care of," Uma said, hurrying off to Mal's room.

"Have to say Mal, I'm on your friends' side here," Hades said. "Though Jay, I'd switch to a mode of carrying that _won't_ lead to a dislocated shoulder."

"Yes sir."

"Dad!"

"Mal, I love you and it's because I love you that this has to happen," Hades told her. "Like I said, if there is a chance for even one of my kids to have the life they deserve then it needs to happen. There is always the hope with you there, Hadie can get off the Isle too."

"…dad, you really I'm going to have to kill Jay for holding me in a bridal pose right now? All this just so I go and rub elbows with some prissy princesses and pampered princes? I thought you liked Jay!"

Hades chuckled and shook his head. "Jay, do you value your shoulder or your life more? Cause something tells me carrying Mal into the limo's the only way she'll go there so you'll have to pick one. I'd advise the shoulder really. They have doctors across the bridge from what Steph tells me."

"Yes sir," Jay nodded, shifting Mal over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Mal, will you calm down? Consider this, you're swiping another girl's spot. Say Freddy boy had gotten a spot, would you want to go just to spite him?"

"The day Freddy Boy leaves this Isle in nothing less than a body bag is the day I start prancing around Boreadon like a prissy princess," Mal growled.

Jay closed his eyes and mentally facepalmed, being unable to actually do it as he was carrying Mal and didn't want to risk dropping her.

"I mean it Jay! He will see his precious hellfire before he gets off this Isle!"

"Yes Mal, I know. I usually help even if you won't let me give the revenge he deserves for pushing you into the cove all those years ago."

"You won't be able to help if you're off in Boreadon Jay! How are we supposed to make sure our turf stays out of Freddy boy's hands if we're off drinking tea and doing Gods know what else over across the bridge?"

"Mal, as I said, that is why Harry and I will still be here," Uma said as she came back in, holding Mal's bag.

Mal glared from her spot over Jay's shoulder. "Uma, what do you think Freddy boy will do when he learns it's just you and Harry defending the turf?"

"Ah hem! Are you forgetting that I have friends on the other side? Plus the Warf Rats, they've been itching for a fight actually. Henry's been uping the training with Ryan, Derek and Dustin."

"Jay and I are itching for a fight too! You'd honestly get into a fight with Freddy boy and his angels without us?!"

"It will be strange, I'll admit, but it would be in defense of our turf!"

"Now you're just being dramatic," Mal muttered.

" _I'm_ being dramatic? I'm not the one who needs to be carried into the limo to have a chance at a better life," Uma said, waving Mal's bag.

"Oh, Mali, I swiped something for you when I was over at the Dragon's," Jay said. "Her spies already know about the invites—DeVil and Blueberry were there too. She actually seemed annoyed her knuckleheads didn't find you."

Mal smirked at that fact. "Her knuckleheads aren't allowed on dad's side of the Isle. Quite easy to avoid being detected by the Dragon when her spies are only allowed in her territory."

"Anyway…" Jay said and pulled a certain book out of his jacket-which was easier said than done considering he was still holding Mal over his shoulder. "Little bit of revenge huh? _And_ you're still a magic user anyway so you'd be able to actually _use_ this in Boreadon."

"Jay, I'd be more impressed that you swiped something from under the Dragon's nose if you weren't currently holding me like a sack of potatoes!"

"If I put you down, I'll never get ahold of you again."

"You got that right! Have you all forgotten what Boreadon did to us?! Trapped us on an Isle without decent food, no medical system and Freddy boy! Why would I willingly go there?"

"Mal, no one has forgotten that!"

"Then why do you all want me to go there?!"

"Because Mal, as has already been pointed out, if a first group of us can get invited over then it's not out of the realm of possibility that others will too. Don't you want to have control over who comes next? Don't you want to see your mom?"

Mal glowered. "Of course I want to see mom! But I'll see mom in six months anyway! Still…having control over who comes next is tempting."

"Will you go for the sake of that? To keep the ones we know deserve the Isle on the Isle if nothing else?"

"…I hate all of you so much right now. But fine. If only because Freddy boy is _not_ leaving this Isle. Not if I can help it!"

"Fair enough."

"Now will you order Jay to let me down?!"

"That depends. Can you promise you won't bolt on us?" Uma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I make no promises!" Mal exclaimed.

"Then you're not getting down."

"What?! Uma, you're not actually going to have Jay carry me to the limo are you?!" Mal shouted. The last thing she needed was for the entire Isle to see her get carried off like a child throwing a temper tantrum. She had a rep and she wasn't going to ruin it by having Jay carry her like some simpering… _princess_!

"Can you behave and walk by yourself?"

"I'm a VK. Since when do we behave?"

Uma sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "Let me rephrase that then. Will you go quietly?"

"Uma, all of us know Mal'll never go quietly," Jay chuckled.

"True…"

"So let me go or the next thing I'll do is dislocate Jay's shoulder!" Mal exclaimed. "You have until 'five'!"

"I've got two shoulders Mal and they've got doctors in Boreadon," Jay shrugged causing Mal to growl in displeasure. "Growl all you want Mal, I'm not letting you down."

"Jay, you are so lucky—"

"Lucky how Mal? That I'm your first mate?" Jay smirked. "Why yes I am. Because I know you'd have already dislocated my shoulder and escaped if I wasn't."

"Jay!"

"Yes Mal?"

Mal growled once more causing Uma and Harry to roll their eyes.

"Down girl," Jay chuckled. "I'll let you down when we get in the limo."

Mal sighed. "Dad…"

"Sorry Mali, I'm with Jay on this one," Hades chuckled. His daughter was tenacious, he'd give her that.

"I'm not even allowed to say goodbye?"

Hades gave his daughter a sad smile. "Of course you are Mali. Jay?"

"You run and I'm chasing you down," Jay said as he set Mal down.

Mal sighed as Hades pulled her into a hug. "Bye dad."

"Love you Mali," Hades whispered before kissing the top of her head.

"Love you too dad," Mal whispered back.

"You go out there and you show Boreadon what a child of the Gods can do, okay?"

Mal nodded, smirking a little at the use of the nickname. Her dad didn't use it often around the kids as her mom thought it might be a bad idea to poison the kids against the kingdom. "I'll give mom a hug for you and Hadie okay?"

"I know you will," Hades said. "Just remember this okay? No matter what happens over there, never apologize for who you are or try to change yourself to make the simpering royals happy."

Mal nodded softly. "Auradon's going to regret inviting me over there," she said with a small smirk.

Hades couldn't help but chuckle at that, before cupping his daughter's face in his hands. He knew it likely wouldn't be the last time he saw her but it would still be a while before he saw her face.

"Dad? Is Mal going somewhere?"

"Hey Hadie," Mal said with a sad smile, turning away from their dad to pick her younger brother up into a hug.

"Mali! You're being weird!"

"Yeah, well when I'm not going to see you for a while, I'm allowed to be weird."

"Why won't you be seeing me for a while?" Hadie asked. "Is…is the Dragon making you go somewhere?"

"Actually it's more a combination of dad and your cousin but essentially yes."

"Uma or Virgil?" Hadie asked.

"Uma. She pulled the captain card."

"Oh. Why is Uma sending you someplace?"

"Because she wants me to get into Prince Beastie's good books," Mal sighed.

Hadie frowned. "Is that possible? I mean he's part of the Auradon royal family and they clearly don't care about the Isle."

"Well all I know is that me and Jay are wanted over there—and I think the limo's almost here, the invite said it'd be arriving soon. So little bro, I'm going to have to say goodbye," Mal said with a frown. "Be ruthless but loyal. I'll tell mom you said hi," she told him, kissing his head as she set him down.

"We'll keep an eye out for him Mali, like I said," Uma promised. "No one'll mess with him."

Mal smiled before pulling Uma into a hug. "You let Freddy boy or his angels put one _toe_ into our territory, I'll come back and kick both your butt and his," she whispered.

"Aye aye captain," Uma chuckled.

"That's co-captain, Uma," Mal said with a smirk causing Uma to chuckle again.

"Go on. We don't want you being late and missing the limo."

Mal snorted but gave Harry a quick hug. "If you continue to listen to your father, I will find a way to smite him from Boreadon," she muttered. "You _matter_ to this crew Harry. Don't forget it."

Harry smiled slightly and squeezed her lightly. "Go on cap'n, give Boreadon hell for us."

"Count on it," Mal muttered.

Harry smiled as the hug broke and Mal couldn't help but give a sad smile herself.

"Go on Mal," Uma said softly, handing Mal her bag. Estelle whined softly, causing Mal to give another sad smile as she knelt down.

"I can't take you with me boy," she said as she scratched behind his ear. "I wish I could. But you've got to stay here, to keep Hadie and dad out of trouble. Okay? Promise?"

Estelle gave a small yip and gave Mal's hand a small lick, as if making the promise.

"Good boy," Mal whispered, the sad smile still on her face as she kissed Estelle's middle head.

"We'll take care of him Mal," Harry promised.

"I know," Mal sighed as she stood up. Uma handed Mal her bag, which she'd dropped when she bent down to say goodbye to Estelle.

"Better ship off cap'n. Both of you, actually. You'll be late."

Jay and Mal nodded, Mal taking her bag—Jay already had his bag with him.

"Jay, I can't believe I'm saying this, but…don't steal too much," Uma said softly. "Don't give Boreadon a reason to kick you back here-you know Mal might actually go insane if one of us isn't there."

"I make no promises," Jay said with a small chuckle.

Mal couldn't help but chuckle herself as she shook her head. "C'mon Jay. Before I change my mind."

"Coming Mal." Jay nodded. Mal could only assume his own bag was back with the Dragon and his father. "Let's go."

Mal nodded slowly and the two of them headed out of the Underworld and to the limo. Little did they know how much their lives were about to change.


	30. Chapter 30

Mal and Jay made their way to the limo, which oddly enough was parked near Maleficent's castle. Mal wasn't going to lie, it was more than a little nerve wracking being this close to the Dragon without knowing exactly what her plan was. Because of course she'd have a plan or a scheme.

Jay put a hand on Mal's shoulder, causing the smaller purple haired girl to give him a small smile.

"Hey, it might be okay," Jay whispered and Mal rolled her eyes.

"Jay, I'm honestly giving us forty eight hours before Boreadon kicks us back to the Isle," she muttered. "And I swear, if they make me room with Blueberry…"

"You don't know that they will," Jay told her. "But if they do, you can always hang out in my room during the day."

"And maybe even at night," Mal muttered.

"Of course," Jay nodded. "I doubt DeVil would complain anyway, considering the protection he gets from us. It would be just like the clubhouse back when you were five, only minus Uma and Harry."

Mal nodded but she couldn't help but sigh as she looked once more around the Isle. She hated to sound mushy but she was really going to miss her home.

"I'm with you," Jay said softly as to not be overheard.

"Thanks Jay. And I'm with you," Mal told him, matching his tone as they fought through the crowd of lower classed villains gathered by the limo.

"Let's show Boreadon who's boss," Jay said with a smirk.

"Gladly," Mal said, a wicked grin growing on her face. The grin slipped when she happened to look up to see Maleficent looking back at her from the balcony. The Dragon didn't do anything, just looked at her as if sizing her up. Mal forced herself to look away and piled into the limo, keeping her distance from Evie.

Carlos gave a shy wave; while he was under the crew's protection and therefore couldn't be touched by the other gangs of VKs on the Isle, he wasn't _officially_ part of the the crew. Of course Mal had a feeling he didn't mind; Gil was under that same umbrella and both boys were fairly close. They were both creative at least—Carlos with technology and Gil with crafts. It was the youngest Gaston boy who got Ursula's necklace put back together after all.

"Hey DeVil," Jay said with a nod.

"DeVil," Mal said softly, giving a small nod in his direction. She of course ignored Evie. As much as she hated the blue haired girl, the last thing she'd want was to cause a fight in such a contained environment.

She'd win of course but that was besides the point.

"Mal," Carlos said softly. "You hungry?"

Mal shrugged. "Depends. Did Boreadon provide food?"

"Yes?" Carlos said but it sounded like a question as he gestured to an array of brightly colored squares and items on small sticks. Mal and Jay looked at the items before looking at each other, as if questioning if they should take one.

"I had food at Lord Hades' restaurant before this," Mal said after a few minutes of silence while Jay reached for one of the items. "They can't honestly call that food?"

Carlos shrugged. "At least it's better than their garbage," he muttered.

"Good point," Mal muttered.

"It's…not that bad actually Mal," Jay said as he nibbled on one of the offered items. "Try something. It's sweet, that's all."

Mal rolled her eyes but took one of the offered items. Sweet things were rare on the Isle after all. Boreadon rarely threw out their candy. Hmm…it wasn't bad.

"Not bad," she muttered as she tilted her head, chewing away. "Not as good as Lord Hades' food but not bad."

"Agreed," Jay nodded and Mal sighed as she leaned back in her seat.

"Gods Jay, what are they playing at? Inviting us to Boreadon?" Mal muttered.

Jay shrugged. "Press gimmick?"

"Has to be. It's been _twenty_ years and all of a sudden they care about the Isle?"

"Maybe it won't be so bad?" Evie spoke up with a smile. "I mean, with the perfect princes…"

Mal scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Blueberry, you and I seem to have different ways to pronounce 'prissy'. Just do us all a favor and stay out of our way when we get there."

Evie frowned but grew silent.

_Good,_ Mal thought. _It'll make the ride that much better without her yammering._

"Are…are there really dogs in Auradon?" Carlos spoke up after a few minutes.

"From what I've heard, yeah," Mal nodded. No one under the crew's protection met Estelle, as Mal wanted to keep the people who knew to a minimum. Carlos, for his timidness, was no idiot. He'd be able to put together the clues of Mal walking around with a _Cerberus_. Even if no one else on the Isle had.

"Oh," Carlos said and grew silent. The whole limo grew silent for a few minutes before Jay noticed something through the windshield, quickly looking away.

"Don't look out the window," he muttered to Mal, who tensed at the command.

"What's wrong?" Mal muttered back.

"There's no more road."

_What?!_ Mal thought and, against her better judgement, looked out the windshield herself. _They're trying to kill us! So this is their plan—make us relaxed by making us think we're finally getting off the Isle and then kill us by dropping us in the water. Pretty dark actually, if you think about it. Sacrificing one of their own to kill off four villain kids!_

She couldn't help but subtly grab Jay's arm, after the events at the docks she had never been near water unless she could help it. Her trips to Ursula's Chip Shoppe were the rare exceptions and her dad only allowed those trips if she was with Uma, Harry or Jay-and even then she made sure Harry or Uma were always on the side closest to the water. Jay subtly put his arm around Mal, as if covering her body with his.

"It's a trap!" Carlos exclaimed, finally noticing the lack of road himself but nothing happened as the four VKs began to panic. Instead the limo was awash in golden light.

"Wait, what just happened?" Mal asked, shocked they weren't plummeting to a watery grave.

"It must be magic!" Evie gushed and looked over her shoulder. Mal rolled her eyes but had to agree, even if she wouldn't voice out loud. She wouldn't give Blueberry that satisfaction.

"Hey, did that button just open the magic barrier?" Evie asked the driver, pointing to one of the buttons on the ceiling.

"No," the driver told her and held up a remote. " _This_ one opens up the magic barrier, that one opens my garage and this one…"

He pressed another button and a divider went up, separating the four VKs from the driver.

"Okay, nasty. I like that guy," Mal chuckled. How could she not? It was so…not Boreadon-y that she had to smirk. Jay chuckled and even Carlos had to nod as Evie sat back down with a small pout.

"Serves Blueberry right," Mal muttered to Jay. "But…why's she asking about the barrier?"

"Curiosity?" Jay suggested but he had a frown on his face, as if something wasn't sitting right with him.

"Since when is Blueberry curious about _anything_ but boys and makeup?"

Jay shrugged. "We'll keep an eye on her."

"I mean, not that she has the brain cells to do anything right?" Mal scoffed.

"Don't underestimate anyone Mal," Jay muttered. "It could end up with us getting a stab in the back. Don't forget, it's the exact same trick my dad played back in Agrabah."

"I know Jay," Mal nodded. "But still…it's _Blueberry_ we're talking about. If it's not about a boy or makeup, she doesn't care."

"Maybe it was a one time fluke," Jay muttered, nodding his head. "Still, our parents underestimated people and got put on the Isle for it…"

"True." Mal sighed. "We'll keep an eye on her then."

The ride to Auradon Prep continued on in silence, Mal wincing slightly at how bright everything was.

"We will definitely need sunscreen," she muttered under her breath. Well maybe Jay wouldn't but DeVil definitely would. So would she. Blueberry probably already had some packed if any showed up in the last barge, wouldn't want her perfect skin ruined by the sun.

"I'll swipe some as soon as we get out of the limo," Jay promised, having heard the mutter. "Gods, how do they live with this?"

"How do you think?" Mal told him. "They're _used_ to it. Probably just like they're used to sending us their garbage."

"Let's make the most of it huh? Hey, maybe we could sneak some fresh stuff over to Harry and Uma," Jay whispered to her.

"I like the sound of that Jay," she whispered back with a smirk.

Jay smirked back at her as he pocketed some more of the oddly colored food for later. "So…what do you think Beastie Jr's going to be like?"

"Stuck up," Mal muttered.

"Well that goes without saying," Jay scoffed. "After all, he is the _crown_ prince of Boreadon."

"Like I said Jay, this is probably just a press stunt," Mal sighed, rolling her eyes. "Besides, there's no way Beastie is actually stepping down for a sixteen year old to take his place."

She was referring, of course, to the announcement that had gone out the year before.

_"Dad, dad, dad! Did you hear the news?" Mal asked as she ran into the Underworld, Estelle at her heels._

_"Do tell. What gossip has Boreadon deemed worthy to feed us this time? Must be something juicy to get that reaction from you," Hades said, in the midst of trying out a new recipe for the restaurant._

_"Beast is stepping down from the throne! Beastie Jr.'s going to be king!" Mal exclaimed, sliding into the kitchen as she was trying to stop._

_Hades' head snapped up from the recipe. "He what?!"_

_"The coronation's next year," Mal said. "The Dragon may already know because of her spies but I grabbed the announcement before she could see it yesterday."_

_Despite the update to the registry, they had decided it was probably better for Mal's safety if she made occasional appearances at Maleficent's castle. Thankfully, it was only once or twice a month._

_"Well….that is surprising. No doubt he's just a mini Beast though, I doubt much will change here. Good job hiding it from the Dragon though."_

_Mal sighed. "Dad…is it wrong to hope Beastie Jr. will be better than his dad?"_

_"No. You're young Mal, it's natural."_

_"But I've been on the Isle for fifteen years. I should be more vicious shouldn't I? Or at least more realistic? That's what the Dragon says when I grace her with my presence at least."_

_"Maleficent's brain is basically 'be evil, be evil, be evil' Mali. It's better to not follow her world view."_

_"But if I'm not going to leave the Isle, I…I'll need to toughen up even more right?" Mal asked, sitting down at the counter. "I mean, being nice only earns you a rep as an easy target around here."_

_"Mali, think of it this way. You're ruthless when you need to be but you treat your minions decently don't you?"_

_"Well yeah," Mal nodded. "I mean Uma's not a minion, she's family and we have to make sure Harry and Jay don't hurt themselves picking a fight with the wrong person. Besides someone has to look after DeVil and Gil so they don't get hurt—DeVil because he's too timid and Gil because…well because he's Gil."_

_"That's my point. It's a better way to survive by not being completely evil. Having people who are loyal to you is better than ruling by fear and getting stabbed in the back."_

_"Or the front in the Dragon's case," Mal pointed out with a smirk. As much as she hated Aurora and her family, she wasn't going to lie—Phillip stabbing her birth giver with his sword was her favorite part of that story. "But dad, you have a minion who's name is literally Panic and you were never betrayed by him."_

_"Panic's jumpy, yes, but he also knows I have his back. Of course I have to now, considering he's family being married to Vanessa and all."_

_"Oh." Mal said. "Wait, does this mean I have to be nice to Blueberry?"_

_"No, it means you keep eyes on her and only retaliate if she starts something."_

_Mal looked a little unsure about that. "Dad, this is the daughter of the Evil Queen remember? I don't trust her as far as I can throw her."_

_"And that's why I'm saying you don't have to be nice to her."_

_"Oh that's easy," Mal smirked and then looked around. "Where's Hadie? I thought that little storm cloud would have been by my side the second I slid in here?"_

_"Three, two, one," Hades counted, chuckling at Mal's nickname for her brother—what used to be a derogatory name had turned into a term of endearment. A blue blur slid into the kitchen and Mal smirked as her nine almost ten year old brother ran in._

_"Mali!"_

_"Hello my little beastie," Mal chuckled._

_"Did you hear the news Mal?" Hadie asked, bouncing a little. "There's going to be a new king! Oh, and Dizzy's going to start working at Lady Tremaine's shop!"_

_"Yeah I heard. Well the king news, not the Dizzy news," Mal nodded. "Let's hope Beastie Jr. eases up on us somewhat huh?"_

_"Think we'd get to go to Auradon?" Hadie asked, the grin still on his face and the bouncing getting more intense._

_"Is it possible he's had some sugar?" Mal asked Hades._

_"We don't get sugar here Mali. He's hyped because of the news," Hades remarked, his tone deadpanned._

_"Mom brought some snacks from Boreadon," Hadie said. "They were good! Too sweet though."_

_"Your mother gave you sugar?" Hades exclaimed. "Persephone!"_

_"Yes dear?" Persephone walked into the kitchen. "You bellowed?"_

_"You hyped our nine year old up on sugar?"_

_"I gave him a few pieces," Persephone said rolling her eyes. "I did not 'hype him up' as you put it."_

_"I liked it!" Hadie grinned._

_"Clearly," Mal smirked._

The limo came to a stop, bringing Mal out of her thoughts and she sighed. This was it. Two students and an older woman stood in front of the school to greet them as a marching band played.

_At least we didn't come out of the limo fighting or anything. That would have been an excellent first impression,_ Mal thought. She couldn't stop the smirk that came to her lips as she saw the boy's bright yellow pants. She almost pitied him. Almost being the operative word.

"It's so nice to meet all of you," the boy spoke up, a kind smile on his face as he gestured to the woman standing next to him. "This is Fairy Godmother, headmistress of Auradon Prep, and I'm Ben."

" _Prince_ Ben!" The girl standing next to him on his other side exclaimed. "Soon to be king!"

"Ah, I might have known," Mal muttered under her breath.

"You had me at _prince_ ," Evie smiled as she walked up to Ben and gave a small curtsey. "My mom's a queen which makes me a princess."

_Yeah well my parents are Gods so that makes me a godling but you don't see me bragging about it,_ Mal thought as she rolled her eyes.

"The Evil Queen has no royal status here and neither do you," the girl said rather harshly in Mal's opinion. Oh Blueberry deserved it, don't get her wrong. Mal was just surprised a Boreadon royal wasn't sickly sweet.

"This is Audrey," Ben said quickly as if to diffuse any tension between the two groups.

"Princess Audrey, his girlfriend. Right Bennyboo?" Audrey said, grabbing Ben's hand.

Mal fought the urge to roll her eyes but frowned slightly as Ben seemed to almost stiffen at Audrey's touch.

_Hmm…that's interesting,_ she thought. Still she had to still smirk at the nickname. _I almost pity you Beastie. Almost._

Ben slipped out of Audrey's grasp and started shaking each of the VK's hands.

"It is so, so good to finally meet you all," Ben said, trying to recover from the nickname Audrey had revealed. "This is a momentous occasion, and one that I hope will go down in history as the day our two peoples begin to heal."

"Or the day you show four peoples where the bathroom is," Mal snarked.

Ben looked over at Mal. "A bit over the top?"

"More than a bit," Mal nodded.

"Well so much for my first impression," Ben said with a chuckle and Mal couldn't help but give him a small smile. So far, he was a lot different than what she'd expected.

"Hey, you're Maleficent's daughter right?" Audrey butt in, as if she was trying to break the moment.

"No, I'm not," Mal said, crossing her arms and she had to smirk as Ben, Audrey and Fairy Godmother froze. Sure she was about to reveal something to DeVil and Blueberry but she was going to set the record straight with these spoiled royals. "Next time you guys send invites, make sure you have the right information. If you must know, Maleficent's daughter is dead. She died at six years old but my parents didn't want your oh so generous offer to go to waste so I came."

Mal wasn't going to lie, she was savoring the stunned looks she was getting not only from Sleeping Brat but from Blueberry as well.

"Be nice Mal," Jay muttered but smirked all the same. _Gods, we haven't even gotten inside…_

"I am being nice. I'm just giving them the facts."

"So…so who's daughter are you?" Audrey asked.

Mal smirked. "Lady Persephone's," she said with a mocking bow and she wasn't going to lie, she loved being able to say that out loud. Plus, you know, the continued stunned looks that were on Fairy Godmother, Audrey's and Ben's faces. "But anyway, now that we have cleared up my parentage, are we going to just stand here all day?"

"Oh right!" Ben exclaimed and clapped his hands together. "How bout a tour?"

Mal shrugged. "Fine."

Ben smiled and led them toward the school, Audrey clinging to his arm.

"Auradon Prep, originally built over 300 years ago and converted into a high school by my father when he became king," Ben said as they stopped by the statue of King Beast.

_Right,_ Mal thought with an inward eye roll. _Who makes a 300 year old building a school anyway? And dear Gods Brat, you can lessen the grip on his arm. Insecure much?_

_I'm guessing due to the snark in your thoughts that you've made it to Auradon?_ Steph's voice came through Mal's mental link, the same link all the Gods shared. Mal could only assume that since the other Gods of Olympus had no idea she existed, they had blocked her link along with Hades', Uma's and Hadie's. Otherwise, why weren't they championing for change for the Isle?

_My thoughts are always snarky mom._

_Not to this degree Mali. I'm so sorry I'm not there. Zeus has us stuck in a meeting of all things. If it lasts any longer, I'm going to find out if you can in fact kill a God._

_I...I will see you at some point right mom?_

_Athena would have to turn me into a spider to keep me away from you Mal. You're my daughter. Whenever you need me, I'll be there._

Ben clapped his hands together, an impressive feat considering the vice like grip Audrey had on his arm, and caused the statue to change from a human to a beast. Carlos screamed, jumping back into Jay and pulled Mal out of her thoughts.

"Oh gods DeVil, get a grip!" Jay griped but grabbed the smaller boy as to prevent him from falling down. "It's a statue!"

"Jay, be nice. You know he's jumpy," Mal muttered.

Ben looked over at them, having heard Carlos' scream. "Carlos, it's okay. My father wanted the statue to be able to transform from beast to man to remind us that anything's possible."

"Does he shed much?" Mal snarked as she looked up at the statue.

"Oh yeah, mom won't let him on the couch," Ben nodded, a deadpanned tone to his voice. Mal couldn't help but give Ben another look. She definitely hadn't expected that response from him. This could be interesting.

"So do you guys have a lot of magic here in Auradon? You know like wands and things like that?" Evie spoke up, and Mal rolled her eyes. Figures Blueberry would focus on the sparkly things.

"Yeah," Ben said with a nod. "I mean, it exists of course but it's pretty much retired. Most of us are just ordinary mortals now."

"Who just happen to be kings and queens," Mal quipped.

"That's true!" Audrey beamed. "Our royal blood goes back thousands of years," she said, smiling as she made Ben's arm drape over her shoulder.

Mal had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the simpering fool as they made their way into the school. _Okay Beastie, you need a smarter girlfriend if the one you're currently dating doesn't know she's outranked by two people in our group here. Pretty sure crown prince outranks princess and I definitely outrank her-unless she's already forgotten the little bombshell I dropped five minutes ago._

Plus maybe it was her imagination but Mal didn't think Ben really appreciated that 'royal blood' line.

"So who's idea was this press gimmick?" Mal asked as they headed inside.

"Press gimmick?" Ben asked, looking confused as he turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Bringing us over?" Mal prompted, gesturing to herself and the other VKs. "No one's cared about the Isle for twenty years and now suddenly we matter? How much attention is this whole thing going to get?"

"Mal I can assure you, this isn't a press gimmick," Ben said. "Bringing the children of the Isle of the Lost to Auradon was my idea. You guys are part of Auradon, you deserve the same chance we get. After all it's all just circumstance. You could have very well been born here but for Fate's choice."

Mal shared a look with Jay, as if they didn't believe what Ben was saying. Before either of them could say anything though, Ben waved to another boy who was walking down the stairs toward them.

"Doug! Doug, come down!" Ben said. "Guys, Doug has your schedules and know the way to your dorms. Any questions?"

"Who are we rooming with?" Mal asked. "Or do we have separate rooms?"

"Ah no," Ben said. "Carlos, you'll be rooming with Jay and Evie, you'll be rooming with Mal."

"Nope! No! Sorry but absolutely not!"

Jay quickly wrapped a hand around Mal's mouth. "That's Isle for 'thank you'," he said before whispering to Mal. "Calm down. Remember the plan—just come and see me."

"Easy to you to say, you're not rooming with Princess Blueberry!" Mal hissed, Jay's hand still covering her mouth.

"Remember why we're here Mal. It's just for a while and then you'll have Uma to room with," Jay muttered. Mal shot him a glare but nodded slightly.

"Fine."

"Great!" Ben said as Jay released his hold on Mal's mouth. "Well I'll see you guys later and if there's anything you guys need, feel free to—"

"Ask Doug," Audrey finished.

"Or me. As I said, this was my idea. Any concerns or questions, my door is always open," Ben said.

"And your door would be _where_?" Mal asked. "Should we have these supposed questions?"

Ben chuckled. "Just down the left hallway, then turn right. My office'll be three doors down on the left."

Mal nodded. She doubted she'd need it but it was good to have just in case.

"As I said, Doug knows everything anyway. Ask him. Bennyboo's very busy," Audrey said harshly as she dragged Ben off.

"Ha," Mal muttered, rolling her eyes. "Possessive much?"

"If she clung to him any tighter, she'd be a snake," Jay snickered. "But, um, don't look now but it seems dwarf boy is smitten by Blueberry."

"Of course he is. Wasn't every boy on the Dragon's side of the Isle? Probably some of the boys on our side too," Mal muttered.

"Yeah but I thought the people in Boreadon had brains," Jay muttered back. Mal snorted but her thoughts seemed to flick back to Ben without permission. He definitely was different than what Mal had thought a prince of Boreadon would be like. He wasn't stuck up and his welcoming attitude seemed genuine. Not to mention it had been his idea to bring kids from the Isle. Not for some press thing to make himself look good. In fact, unless they were really good at hiding, Mal didn't think there had been any press there when they arrived.

Plus, maybe Mal was imagining it, but there was almost a silent 'help me' cry radiating from Ben when he was around his 'girlfriend' that made Mal's more protective instincts flare up. She didn't like owing debts, and getting her off the Isle was probably the biggest debt she could think of.

But anyway, Ben had seemed to stiffen every time Audrey latched on to him, like someone staking her territory for the whole world to see. And yeah, okay, Blueberry had flirted with Ben but he didn't even seem to notice or care. In fact, he'd been looking at Mal. From the second they shook hands, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

_He's just being friendly_ , Mal told herself. _After all, whether they think I'm the Dragon's spawn or knowing I'm mom's kid, I'm still the highest ranked VK here._

She sighed softly as they made their way to their dorms. She honestly didn't know how she was going to survive a month with Perky Princess Blueberry as a roommate. Mal scowled as she entered her room, seeing how bright and airy it was. She. Hated. It. She missed her room in the Underworld, with the dark tones and the lack of light. She didn't need to look over at Blueberry to know that she probably loved it.

However, a package on her bed distracted her from her hatred of her room and Mal had to smirk a little.

_Dear Mal,_

_I wasn't sure if you would have brought your own but here's a small welcoming gift to welcome you to Auradon. Just a few things to help you settle in: shampoo, conditioner, a face cloth and towel, and some soap. It's not much I know but I hope it helps a bit._

_Welcome to Auradon._

_-Ben_

"Well that's…friendly," Mal muttered as she looked through the items. Sure the room was as princessey as one could get but the toiletries almost seemed neutral in some way. As if Ben was trying to not assume they'd be the same as the girls in Auradon. The label on the shampoo said it was 'strawberry' scented…whatever those were.

"Look at this room!" Evie squealed. "It's so amazing! And we get presents! How great is this?"

Mal couldn't help but nod a little. "Interesting way to store soap," she muttered as she picked up the bottle of soap/body wash. If there was soap on the Isle, it normally was the dregs of bars of soap; washed as thin as possible. "Hmm, black orchid and jasmine scented. Nice."

She put it down and turned to look at Evie. "Listen up Blueberry. We may be forced to be roommates but we are not friends. You keep to your side and I'll keep to mine. Just like the Isle," she growled as she picked a bed and drew the curtains.

"It…maybe it won't be so bad Mal," Evie offered. "Maybe we could grow to be friends?"

Mal stuck her head out from the curtains. "If you value never seeing a smoke bomb again, you'll rethink that statement. Don't think that just because Uma's on the Isle, we'll suddenly become friends."

She ripped open the curtains and began to stalk to the door. If Blueberry was going to insist on talking, she could talk to herself. "I'm going to Jay's room. Do not touch my stuff," she growled and stormed out.


	31. Chapter 31

Mal stalked down the hall, making her way to Jay's dorm and pounded on the door. Other students seemed to actively avoid her as they made their way down the hall but Mal suspected that was more because of the fact she was a VK rather than because of her bad mood.

"What's the password?" Jay called from the other side of the door.

"Let me in Jay! I'm not in the mood!" Mal growled.

"Nope, but since it's you," Jay chuckled as he opened up the door. "You know it was unlocked right?"

"Gods, five minutes in a room with Blueberry and I'm ready to tear my own hair out," Mal growled as she stormed into the room. Her bad mood seemed to dissipate as she saw the boys' room. There were more dark tones, with dark wood finishes and paneling on the wall. "Now this is a room I could live in!"

"Glad you like it," Jay chuckled. "My room is your room, Mal. As long as DeVil doesn't mind."

"Not at all," Carlos said quickly, with a look of slight fear in his eyes.

"Glad to hear it," Mal smirked before shaking her head. "I'm not going to hurt you DeVil, don't worry."

"You know I mean it Mal. My room is your room," Jay said as he plopped on his bed. Mal could tell that the boys had gotten the same welcome basket she and Blueberry had gotten over in their dorm. "So…Prince Beastie."

Mal sighed. "Not what I expected," she said as she crossed her arms.

"Very true. His girlfriend though…"

"Hate. Her," Mal muttered. She was _exactly_ what Mal had expected of a Boreadon royal.

"Not surprised," Jay chuckled. "I mean I do too. Honestly she may be his girlfriend but he didn't look like he cared that much about her. Truthfully he looked like she was about to lead him to the executioner's block every time she touched him."

"Probably a political match," Mal said with a shrug. "Doesn't matter though. Prince Beastie's not our business. Even if he does seem miserable."

"I'd argue that if we want him to like us enough to bring certain people over here, he kinda is," Jay muttered. "He's not likely to want to bring more kids over if he's miserable or constantly battling with Audrey."

Mal rolled her eyes. "Okay so what do you propose we do Jay? Become his best friends or something?"

"Maybe not, but I mean we could integrate with him. Get him away from her and more toward us."

Mal frowned. "Okay but how do we do that? We're not the most friendly people in the world Jay—there's a reason why our crew only has four people. We're 'ruthless yet loyal', we don't go up to just anyone."

"So we become 'ruthless yet loyal' to Beastie Jr.," Jay suggested. "He's a captain on a couple of the sports teams here. I overheard a couple of kids talking in the hall. We could go to a game? Make it like a parley or an alliance like back home."

Mal shrugged. "I guess. The last thing I'd want to do is risk Freddy boy winding up off the Isle instead of Uma or Harry."

"Well you should have it easier than me," Jay smirked. "After all, he spent five minutes shaking your hand when we were outside. Don't think I didn't notice that."

"What does that got to do with anything?!"

"Mal, as your first mate, it astonishes me that you still can't tell when a boy likes you. He seemed to care about his first impression with _you_ , not with us."

"Jay, even if he did like me—which he doesn't—he's taken."

"Not for long, if the way he was looking at you combined with how he acted whenever Audrey touched him was any indication," Jay said with a smirk.

"Jay, he was just being friendly. Besides bringing us here was his idea, he couldn't exactly snub us."

"If you say so Mal, but the point still stands."

Mal sighed. Jay was a great first mate but there were some days when she did not understand him. "Honestly I think Ben just likes everyone."

"How do you know?"

"He seemed _really_ happy to see Doug for starters."

"Mal, Doug served as an excuse to get out of Audrey's grasp," Jay pointed out. "I think anyone would have been thankful to see him in that case. Well, maybe not Harry."

"Not that she let it last for long. She's such a snake," Mal muttered.

"She really is," Jay nodded. "Though…is it wrong I wanted to laugh when she took down Blueberry?"

"No," Mal chuckled.

"Oh Gods, could you imagine Harry meeting Audrey? He'd be trying to flirt with her the minute he saw her," Jay chuckled.

"Not that she'd notice," Mal snorted. "Plus Uma would kill Harry if she ever found out if she wasn't busy trying to kill Blueberry."

"So, are we really going to do this?" Jay asked after a few minutes of chuckling. "Try to bring Beastie Jr. into the crew?"

Mal bit her lip but before she could respond, her stomach rumbled. "I'll think about it," she said. "But for now, let's find out where they keep the food around here. Come on DeVil, you too."

"You could always put him under your guys' protection," Carlos offered nervously as they started to head out. "Sorry, I…I couldn't help but overhear. Ben's the future king and all but I didn't see any guards around him."

"That's not a bad idea, DeVil," Mal said, slightly impressed. She'd have to seriously consider it.

"We'd have to talk to him about that," Jay said. "I don't know if he'd accept us just sneaking around him considering we're VKs."

"Ben seems pretty okay with everything," Carlos said with a small shrug. "Just ask him."

"DeVil's got a point," Mal nodded. Two excellent points made by DeVil in one conversation, who would have thought?

"Mal, you ask him," Jay said without hesitation though there was a small smirk on his lips. "You're the only captain here."

Mal shrugged, though she wanted to slap that smirk off of Jay's face. "Alright."

She oddly enough didn't mind the thought of seeing Ben again. Even if it meant playing into Jay's crazy idea that Ben liked her. Honestly, it had to do with ranking—she was the highest ranked VK in Auradon. God outranked princess after all.

"So. Food. Where do we find it?" Mal asked, changing the subject.

"Doug mentioned a cafeteria when he showed us our room," Jay said. "You want to go check it out?"

Mal nodded. She'd have to be a fool to not want to at least scope out the food situation. It wouldn't be as good as her dad's but it should be decent.

"Then let's go," Jay grinned.

"I wonder what kind of food they'll have here," Mal muttered. "Since we usually get their leftovers."

"Only one way to find out," Jay said.

"…should we grab Evie?" Carlos asked softly as they stare to make their way down.

Mal sighed. That was the last thing she wanted to do but she couldn't deny that Blueberry at least deserved food. They all did. "Alright."

"I can get her Mal," Jay offered. "We can meet you and DeVil over there."

"Jay, you don't know the way to my room," Mal pointed out. Doug had led them to the boys' room before showing Evie and Mal their's.

"Oh. Right…I'll follow you then?"

"Right," Mal nodded and led the boys toward her and Evie's room. Mal sighed once more before opening the door.

"Blueberry, we're off looking for food. Do…do you want to come?" Mal got the question out though it may have hurt her.

"Sure," Evie said with a smile. She _always_ had a smile unless Uma and Mal just finished pelting her with smoke bombs.

"Well then come on," Mal muttered as the four of them began to search for the cafeteria. _Okay, stay calm. No matter how annoying Blueberry is, she deserves to eat. We all do. Now…just where is this cafeteria?_

"Jay, did Doug say _where_ this cafeteria was or did he just say they had one?" Mal asked after about ten minutes of searching.

"He said it should be right over….there!" Jay said, pointing to a room where students were milling in and out, delicious smells wafting out into the hall making the four VKs drool slightly.

"Is it me or does it look kinda crowded in there?" Carlos asked softly. Crowds were dangerous—crowds could mean you're risking getting trampled if you go in. There was a reason why most kids in high ranked gangs avoided the barge when the food first arrived on the Isle.

The kids in the lower ranked gangs or even the ones who weren't in gangs were the ones who had to risk the barge after Maleficent's goblins grabbed the items she wanted. After all, Maleficent ruled the Isle so she had first dibs on whatever was on the barge. Hades normally had second dibs, though Virgil would often slip in and grab some items before word got out that the barge had arrived.

One of the few benefits of the docks being on Hades' side of the Isle.

"You'd be right but it looks like the only place to get food," Mal sighed, pulling herself out of her thoughts. "Jay, keep an eye on DeVil."

Jay gave her a small salute, and Mal chuckled as she led the way into the cafeteria. Sure it was crowded but no one in Auradon was going to attack them. Right?

_Gods I wish I had my sword,_ Mal thought. _If there is an attack, my only choice would be to run or have Jay run interference. I hope it doesn't come to that—I'm not a prissy princess after all._

"This…this is a lot of food," Carlos said softly, looking around. There were different stations throughout the room, each one having different options available for consumption. "This _is_ food right?"

"Well people are eating it," Mal muttered.

"People eat the 'food' back home too," Jay muttered back to her.

"Good point."

"Hey…are you guys alright?" A boy about their age asked, his black hair flopping into his face.

"Um…yeah," Mal nodded. "Just not used to…all the options."

It was true after all—their main options were either Ursula's shoppe or her dad's restaurant and nine times out of ten they split their food with the warf rats if they came up empty on their food runs.

The dark haired boy nodded but with a small frown on his face, as if he was confused as to why they wouldn't be used to all the options. "Oh….oh you guys are the new students right?"

"That would be us," Mal nodded.

The boy smiled, which seemed like it belonged on his face more than the frown had. "Ben told Akiho and me to see if you guys needed any help if he got stuck with paperwork or if he got caught in a meeting. I'm Emir by the way."

Mal nodded back, trying to at least appear friendly. She felt Jay stiffen slightly behind her as if he was preparing for a fight; everyone knew who's son Emir was.

"So, you guys going to grab some dinner?" Emir asked, not noticing or pretending not to notice Jay stiffen. "I know the pasta's always good but then if you're more of a meat fan, we've got steak and potatoes, or chicken and assorted veggies. Or salad if you're in the mood for something lighter. Then again, there's always the fish—tonight's catch is salmon but sometimes we have tuna and other times we have halibut."

Mal looked over at Jay, trying to not let her jaw drop at the offered options. She knew Auradon had more food than the Isle…but she hadn't expected that many options.

"Um…I guess I'll try the steak," Jay said quietly after a minute.

"Same," Mal muttered.

"I'll try the pasta," Carlos said softly.

"Salad for me," Evie said, her smile never leaving her face though she too seemed hesitant.

"Come on then," Emir said with a smile. "Just go up to the station and grab what'd you like. I'm heading over to the steak station myself."

"Okay," Mal said slowly, trailing after him.

Jay followed Mal while Carlos and Evie reluctantly split off to grab their food. It certainly smelled nice, and Mal could still see DeVil out of the corner of her eye. Blueberry too. She may have hated the blue haired girl...but she was still a VK. Boreadon didn't get to destroy her-that was _Mal's_ job.

"Go on, grab a plate," Emir said as he did just that before glancing around the cafeteria as if he was searching for someone. "Ben, where _are_ you?" He muttered to himself, still scanning the cafeteria.

"In his office," a blond haired boy said with a sigh as he slid up next to Emir, grabbing a plate. "He's in mid paperwork, didn't even notice me poking him in the head for about five minutes."

Emir sighed. "Why am I not surprised Akiho?"

"He'll get here. He's gotta get hungry right?" Mal said with a shrug.

"That's what we keep telling ourselves," Emir sighed and checked his watch again.

Mal frowned slightly. "Not that I care but…is this a common thing for Ben?"

She didn't understand, he had all this food and yet he was insisting on _working_? Meanwhile her crew was stuck on the Isle where they were lucky if the food that arrived was only slightly rotten!

"Unfortunately," Emir sighed. "He'll eat though. We make sure he does."

"Isn't that more of a thing his girlfriend would do?" Jay asked.

Akiho snorted. "Tell that to Audrey," he muttered. "I don't think she even knows where Ben's office is."

Mal frowned slightly. "But she seemed really…fond of him when we saw them at our arrival."

"Fond's an understatement. She's possessive," Emir snorted. "Audrey only thinks of things that are in her best interests and when it comes to matches…she can't go any higher than Ben."

Mal rolled her eyes. "I thought you Auradon people were supposed to be about 'true love' and all that muck?"

"In general, yes," Emir said with a shrug. "But…let's just say there are some people here who would like to think they have True Love when in reality—"

"In reality they're delusional ladder climbers who can't tell when someone's trying to escape their grasp like you would a snake?" Mal asked. She wasn't sure _why_ Ben's friends were telling her this but anyone who was willing to trash Sleeping Brat around her was okay in her book.

"Exactly!" Emir nodded while trying to hide his snickers.

Mal couldn't help but smirk. "Oh I think you and I are going to get along _just_ well."

"Glad to hear," Emir chuckled as they sat down at a table; Evie and Carlos sitting down a few seats down. Close enough that Mal or Jay could step in if needed but far enough away that no one would think they were together.

Though Carlos was a bit closer than Evie was, considering he still had Jay and Mal's protection.

"Gods Tourney practice today was brutal. I know I'll be sleeping well tonight," Akiho sighed as Mal and Jay dug into their steak. Well more like wolfed it down as if it was going to disappear if they ate at a normal pace. Emir and Akiho stared in surprise.

"Guys, you might want to slow down," Emir said with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, it's not going to vanish," Akiho nodded. Mal rolled her eyes but didn't slow her tempo.

"Seriously guys, slow down," Emir said, the smile on his face slowly turning into a frown. The way they were acting, you'd think they hadn't eaten all day. Glancing over to Carlos and Evie, Emir could see that they were eating the same way though Evie might have been a bit slower than the others.

"Gods that's disgusting," he heard one of the cheerleaders mutter as she walked past their table.

"Yeah the amount of makeup on your face _is_ disgusting Ariana, glad we agree," a raven haired girl said as she sat down next to Akiho.

"Nice one Lonnie," Akiho chuckled. "Went for the steak tonight I see?"

"I'm a carnivore. Sue me," Lonnie shrugged and then turned to Mal and Jay with a smile, giving a wave to Evie and Carlos. "Hi! I'm Lonnie. My mom's Mulan?"

"We know," Mal said as she swallowed her steak. "Believe it or not, we _do_ pay attention to things that happen off the Isle."

"Oh," Lonnie said. "Well anyway, nice to meet you guys."

"…thanks?"

The group grew quiet as they continued to eat their dinner. Mal looked around the room, and she couldn't help the pang of guilt that entered her stomach. Sure her dad's food was delicious but he had to work with what was provided by Boreadon.

Tasting what food apparently was _supposed_ to taste like instead of what they had grown used to with the rotten or slightly rotten food that was sent to the Isle…having options other than fish and chicken…it was enough to turn her head.

Sure Frollo had a shop but that was in Freddy's territory. Even if Mal was actively starving, she would rather chew off her own arm and eat the flesh off it than willingly go into Freddy's territory and deal with him or his angels.

_Seriously, if I had to pick who was more annoying it would have to be a tossup between Blueberry and Freddy. Though Audrey is quickly getting up there and I just met the girl._

Besides, Frollo's shop sold stale croissants anyway. If Mal _was_ going to go into Freddy's territory, it would be for something other than stale bread.

"Lonnie, you're beautiful. Absolutely stunning. A real work of art."

Mal raised an eyebrow as Emir's compliments drew her out of her thoughts.

"Nice try but but I'm not giving you my cookie," Lonnie chuckled, having finished her dinner and had moved on to dessert.

"Please!" Emir begged as Lonnie took a bite of the aforementioned cookie. "Coach ran us ragged in practice today and Ben sided with him!"

"You lot need it after that performance you gave against the Imperial Academy team."

"Okay, first off we still won that game even with that behemoth knocking out Brenden, Conner and Ben and second off your dad's the coach! Of course you'd side with them!" Akiho stated and then turned to Jay. "You ever play Tourney?"

"No…" Jay said slowly. "Does it involve hitting people?"

Mal snorted in amusement, Ben's name not escaping her notice.

"Kinda," Emir nodded. "You should try out! I know it might seem pointless considering we're a couple weeks away from the championship but new blood's always welcomed."

"Ben's captain," Akiho added. "He'd _definitely_ let you try out if interested. Your friend too."

Mal and Jay raised an eyebrow, looking at each other. He..he wasn't honestly saying _DeVil_ should try out for a sport that involved hitting people was he?

"I'll think about it," Jay said with a shrug.

"We're on the team too," Emir told him.

"I gathered that," Jay chuckled. "Considering you were asking me to try out after all."

"Wherever Ben goes, they go," Lonnie shook her head. "An inseparable trio—or Ben just has a set of personal shadows."

"Not just shadows," Akiho said. "We also double as security, chefs, and advisors if needed."

"Oh and jesters if absolutely necessary," Emir added, nodding his head.

Lonnie rolled her eyes. "No wonder Ben holes up in his office. It's the only alone time he gets."

"Please, Ben loves our antics," Akiho scoffed and Jay and Mal couldn't help smile softly. The three teens reminded them of their own crew dynamic.

_Gods I miss Uma,_ Mal thought as she finished her dinner. _I wonder what she and Harry are doing…probably spending time sparing or bossing the warf rats. Maybe even getting into a fight with Freddy._

"Hmm, that was good," Jay muttered as he finally finished his meal, which was surprising considering the rate at which he and Mal had consumed it.

"Glad you thought so. Steak night usually is," Lonnie told him.

"I'm sorry, steak _night_?" Jay asked. "As in this doesn't happen every night?"

The Auradon kids shook their heads.

"We've had pizza, Italian, French, tacos, and one time we had breakfast for dinner as the main option," Akiho told him. "Of course we've always had side options as well, in case you're not in the mood for the main course."

"The only side option that hasn't been the main option is seafood," Emir added. "Melody and Elle pretty much insist on that."

"Makes sense considering who their mother is," Lonnie nodded. "There's a calendar that says what's for dinner each day. I'm sure Fairy Godmother will get you all a copy tomorrow when you start going to class."

_Yeah, maybe in that Remedial Goodness 101 class they set up just for us,_ Mal thought with a snort, making sure to keep her mental link blocked in case Steph heard her snark.

"Well speaking of classes, we should think about hitting the hay," Akiho said. "I wasn't kidding when I said coach ran us ragged today. I know it's early but I am _beat_."

"We might be in some of the same classes," Lonnie told the VKs as they all got up to head up to their dorms. "That'll be fun at least."

Mal nodded. She wasn't sure what Lonnie defined as fun exactly but she wasn't going to lie, it was a little comforting knowing that they had a few allies already. Making her way back to her dorm, Mal sighed as she grabbed some sleeping clothes and made her way back over to Jay's dorm.

If they thought she was actually going to spend time in a room with Blueberry for more than five minutes, they had another thing coming.

Reaching Jay's dorm, Mal knocked on the door, her knock a bit lighter than it had been when she arrived before dinner.

"It's me."

"It's unlocked," Jay called back and Mal headed in. Jay shook his head in amusement at seeing her change of clothes.

"You're welcome here any time Mali but you _do_ know that you're going to have to spend time with Blueberry eventually right?"

"I know," Mal sighed. "Doesn't mean that day has to be today."

Jay chuckled. "Well get changed and get in."

"Should I ask?" Carlos asked softly.

"No," Mal said as bluntly as she could as she made her way toward the bathroom to change.

"Okay," Carlos said as he climbed into his own bed, smilingly slightly as the mattress seemed to bounce with every movement. It was a lot better than a nest of furs, that was for sure.

Mal quickly changed and came back out, climbing into Jay's bed.

"At least we've got this little bit of home," Jay whispered as he climbed in next to her.

"Yeah," Mal whispered back. "Just like the clubhouse. We're just missing two people."

"It won't be long. Just don't kill Blueberry in the meantime."

"I make no promises."

Jay gave her a small smile. "Evil dreams."

"Same to you," Mal said with a small smile before they both drifted off to sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

Mal scowled as she made her way through her first day of classes. Fairy Godmother, in her infinite wisdom, had decided to make it so _none_ of the VKs were in a class together other than Remedial Goodness 101. Even if she didn't want to be in a class with Blueberry, Mal wasn't thrilled to be alone either.

_You know, some of us aren't evil. We're just wicked. There's a difference,_ Mal thought as she looked at her locker as she closed the door, having put her books inside. It was just the same as the other lockers, though that could pretty much describe all of Auradon. Being different was bad, judging by all the looks she and the others got for their clothing.

What was worse was there was a rumor that someone tried to break into the museum where Fairy Godmother's wand was held the night they had arrived.

_Probably someone who wants to frame us VKs for something,_ Mal thought with an inward snort, making sure her mental link was temporarily blocked as to not worry her mom or dad—or Uma. _I certainly don't need that wand—I've got dad's powers coursing through my veins. Plus mom's as well. Not to mention I've still got a bit of my Fae magic—not as much as I did before mom adopted me but it's still there._

Sighing, she set her bag down and pulled out a couple of cans of spray paint—one never knew when one needed to mark their territory. Holding her breath, she began to get to work. Ignoring the stares and mutters of the passing students, Mal smirked as she got into the zone; making sure each pass of the spray paint was even and perfect.

No one was going to think of her as a second rate tagger. Not in Auradon.

"Nice one," Jay said as he walked up. "Might be your best tag to date."

"Thanks Jay," Mal smirked as she finished up. In front of them was a pomegranate fruit with a golden skin, blue flames in the background, and the words 'Family is Forever' underneath.

_Let's see Sleeping Brat try to claim I'm lying now,_ Mal thought. Oh she'd heard the scuttlebutt about Audrey claiming Mal was lying to make herself seem more important and that she truly was Maleficent's daughter. Mal didn't care. She could crush Audrey like a bug but she knew doing that would make it next to impossible for Uma and Harry to come over.

"You having a good first day?" Jay asked as he shot a grin to some of the female students who were passing by. Mal rolled her eyes.

"Gods Jay, get some dignity."

"What use do I have for dignity? It just gets in the way of the really fun stuff," Jay smirked, not noticing Chad, Audrey and Ben in the background.

"I dunno Ben, they seem like trouble," Chad said.

"Come on man, give 'em a chance," Ben told him. "Emir and Akiho said they had a great time with them."

"No offense Bennybear but you're just too trusting," Audrey said, grabbing Ben's hands, not noticing Ben stiffen once more or. Chad's frown. "I know your mom fell in love with the big scary beast that turned out to be a handsome prince but in _my_ story, the evil fairy was _just_ the evil fairy. _That_ girl's _mother_."

"She told us yesterday, the records are wrong. In fact, I'm going to see if I can update them myself today," Ben said, slipping his hands out of Audrey's grasp. "And you're wrong about them."

Ben turned away and started making his way toward Mal and Jay, wanting to see how their first day was and if they needed anything.

"Gods Jay, you're so clingy," he heard Mal tease.

"Hey, you came into my bed last night," Jay teased back and Ben froze, his stomach clenching as he heard Mal chuckle.

_They're friends. Close friends but friends—Mal probably was just feeling homesick or something. I mean the only other possibility would be that…no, Mal and Jay aren't dating. I mean they do seem awfully close and Jay was the one to put his hand over Mal's mouth the other day…he certainly feels comfortable with her..._

Ben shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was looking too deep into it—a boy and a girl could be friends. After all, he was friends with Lonnie and no one thought _they_ were dating. Though granted, due to that betrothal contract and the fact that he was dating Audrey, no one really could think that.

"Hey Mal," he said as he leaned against one of the other lockers.

"Hey," Mal said with a smirk, Jay standing a bit off to the side and shaking his head. _I'm still here, you know,_ he thought in amusement. _Gods Mali, when you do something you don't go half assed do you? Getting the Crown Prince to like you?_

"How was your first day?"

"Hmm…super."

Ben couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped from his lips at her dry tone. There was just something about her sarcastic nature that drew him in. Plus it didn't hurt that she looked exactly like the girl from his dreams.

"You know you should really think about taking this talent off the locker and into art class. I could, uh, sign you up," he said, gesturing to the tag. "What do you think?"

Jay snorted from his spot behind Mal and Mal rolled her eyes as she elbowed him in the side.

"Way to take all the fun out of it," Mal said with a smirk as she and Jay walked off.

"Huh," Ben uttered as he leaned back against the other lockers.

_I've known Mal for like a day. Why am I feeling like this?_ Ben thought. _I don't know what it is but every time I talk to her, I feel happier than I have in months. Being with Audrey's great but it's…it's almost like a chore at times now._

Ben shook his head again. What was he doing? He had made a promise to the Roses, and to his parents when the contract had been finalized. He would stick it out. For the kingdom. For his parents. For Audrey.

Even if all Ben wanted was to see that smirk again.

As Ben began to make his way back to his office to start once more on paperwork, his classes being done for the day, Jay was in the process of teasing Mal as they made their way to their next classes: Jay heading to Basic Chivalry while Mal made her way to Chemistry.

"I swear, we're not here one week and the boys are already chasing you."

"Shut up Jay," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "Ben's just being friendly."

"Oh so he's _Ben_ now? Not Beastie Jr.?"

Mal rolled her eyes again and shook her head at Jay's smirk. "If we want him as our ally then _yes_ Jay, he's going to have to be Ben."

Jay shook his head in amusement. "If you says so Mali. I'll see you after class."

"See you," Mal said softly and quickly made her way to her Chemistry class. Fortunately, she shared the class with Akiho. She liked spending time with the Arendelle prince, he was funny and snarky—even if they'd only interacted the one time.

Unfortunately however, she also shared the class with Audrey.

_Fairy Godmother must have inhaled a bit too much pixie dust when creating the class schedules,_ Mal thought as she took her seat. _Sleeping Brat and me, in the same class? Even if Fairy Godmother thought I was the Dragon's spawn, she would have had to have known this wouldn't end well? Especially when it was the class that ran the risk of things exploding!_

"There aren't enough curse words in the world to satisfy me right now," Mal muttered as Mr. Delay started the lesson. She rolled her eyes as she listened to Audrey twitter with her cohorts like mindless zombies, going on about her _wedding_ of all things.

The girl was _sixteen_ , why did she even care about a wedding?

"Gods Audrey, the entire school knows you're betrothed to Ben. Maybe you could actually focus on the lesson instead what color you'd want your bridesmaids' dresses to be?" Akiho muttered from his seat next to Mal.

"What, she's _what_?" Mal hissed, turning to look at him. She didn't know why she cared about what was essentially idle gossip but there was something about the idea of Ben _marrying_ the brainless twit that got Mal's hackles up. Even if she only knew him for a day.

"Yeah, Ben told Emir and me about it when we were twelve and then Audrey spread it around when they officially started dating last year," Akiho nodded. "Betrothal contract. Supposedly iron clad. Finalized when Audrey and Ben were three, I believe."

Mal made to open her mouth but Akiho shook his head, gesturing to the teacher who looked like he was about to call on someone. When Mr. Delay brought some poor unsuspecting kid to the board, Akiho started back up.

"Sorry, but that's Mr. Delay's thing. He picks one kid he thinks isn't paying attention and brings them up to the board. Emir and I think he likes humiliating people."

"Huh, well thanks for having my back I guess," Mal shrugged but she couldn't deny, she was oddly touched that someone from Auradon would look out for her like that.

Akiho shrugged. "Ben asked us to look out for you guys, at least for the first few days. Oh I think you'll get a kick out this by the way, there's a rumor going around the school that you're Lady Persephone's daughter."

"Well I don't know why that's a rumor," Mal shrugged, pretending to take notes. "I am. Maleficent's nothing more than my birth giver."

Akiho seemed a little shocked but continued on like the news hadn't phased him. "Well in that case you might want to be prepared for your Auradon cousins to come out of the woodwork. There's Ariel's daughters, Elle and Melody, and then there's Hercules' kids: Hyllus, Macaria and Herkie. Oh and Jamie Hawkins, she's Elle's cousin-her mom's Andrina and her dad's obviously Jim Hawkins."

"I only have _one_ cousin," Mal said firmly, " and she's currently trapped on the Isle with no way off."

"Hey I'm just telling you what might happen."

"The other Gods don't care about the VKs," Mal snorted. "If they did, a lot would be different."

Akiho opened his mouth but Mal kicked his shin just as Mr. Delay seemed to want to pick another unsuspecting victim. Quickly looking down and pretending like he was taking notes, Akiho narrowly avoided getting selected himself.

"Thanks for that," he told Mal as they walked out of class.

Mal shrugged. "You did the same for me. We pay our debts on the Isle."

"Well thanks all the same. Even if the idea of the daughter of Lady Persephone being indebted to me sounds amazing," he said, teasing her on the last part.

"Gods Akiho, you don't honestly believe that lie do you?" Audrey's dulcet tones came from behind them. "She's _obviously_ ashamed of having Maleficent for a mother so she's trying to make herself seem more important. Though, with your father being an ice man and who your mother almost ended up marrying, I guess seeing past the lies _would_ be hard for a half royal like yourself?"

Without thinking, Mal grabbed onto Akiho's arm as if pulling him back. Years of holding back Jay and Harry from getting fights at the wrong time had made it second nature by this point. "Somewhere out there is a tree, tirelessly producing oxygen so that you can breathe," she told Audrey. "I think you owe it an apology. Come on Akiho."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away from Audrey and her cronies; Akiho chuckling as he followed.

"Thanks for that but I'm used to Audrey's barbs by now," he told Mal. "It's one of her favorite hits honestly, trying to get Ben not to hang out with us because Emir and I are only 'half royals'. Never mind the fact that _Ben_ is too."

"Why does he keep in the contract then?" Mal asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blueberry make her way toward the bleachers with a boy with blond, slightly curly hair that was pressed down with way too much gel.

"Figured Chad wouldn't waste time getting to know one of the two new girls," Akiho snorted, following Mal's gaze. "He wasn't _really_ a fan of Ben's proclamation but he kept silent when he was around Ben. However, Chad will never stop being a flirt especially since Audrey's with Ben. Anyway, to answer your question, Ben considers the contract to be a promise. Ben's big on keeping his promises. He always says a king should be as good as his word."

"You wouldn't happen to have a copy of the contract, would you?" Mal asked, an idea slowly starting to form in her brain. "Contracts and deals are kinda my dad's thing. I want to see if it's as iron clad as you claim it is."

"Emir's got a copy or at least a photo of it," Akiho told her. "We can get it to you on the weekend—it's on his phone. Actually, come to Tourney practice. We'll get it to you then."

Mal nodded. "Good. Like I said, we pay our debts on the Isle."

"Ben wouldn't consider you indebted to him for getting you off the Isle," Akiho said as Jay walked up.

"And, as per usual, I haven't a clue what's going on," Jay snorted.

"Hey Jay," Akiho nodded with a smile. "I'll see you this weekend Mal?"

"Sounds like a plan," Mal nodded and Akiho walked off. Mal rolled her eyes at Jay's questioning stare.

"What?"

"What's happening this weekend?" Jay asked as they made their way back to Jay's dorm.

"Tourney practice. Akiho's getting me a copy of Ben's betrothal contract with Sleeping Brat," Mal told him. "I want to see if there's a way he can get out of it."

"Why?" Jay asked.

"Because…as much as I hate to say it, especially about any member of the royal family of Auradon, he seems like an okay guy," Mal sighed. "Besides, he got us off the Isle and asked his friends to watch our backs when he couldn't. I know we don't need it but if he's looking out for us, shouldn't we do the same for him?"

Jay was quiet for a few minutes before he spoke up again. "I got into a fight in Basic Chivalry. The teacher wants me to take my energy where it'll be more productive. Meaning he wants me to try out for the Tourney team. DeVil too—oddly enough he tried to break up the fight."

"Really?" Mal asked, sounding slightly impressed. "Guess DeVil has a little more bite to him now that we got him away from his mother. What was the fight about?"

"Oh one of the brainless wonders in the class was spouting some nonsense that you were a liar by saying Steph was your mom."

Mal snorted. "Sleeping Brat did the same thing. It doesn't matter what they think—mom _is_ my mom. Don't they know calling me a liar is a compliment anyway? If they wanted to offend me, they'd just believe me."

"Yeah well, brains don't seem to be all that common around here," Jay shook his head.

"Some of the kids here have 'em," Mal shrugged. "Akiho and Emir for one. Lonnie's another one but I haven't seen her since dinner our first night."

"And Ben?" Jay teased.

"Gods, you're like a big brother no one asked for," Mal grumbled but there was no bite to it. She wouldn't know where she'd be if she was in Auradon without Jay. Actually, she did know—she'd be back on the Isle already, having _earned_ her spot there because she'd have killed Blueberry.

"So how was Basic Chivalry?" Mal asked as she plopped on Jay's bed. "Other than the fight I mean?"

"They put a plate with a knife, two spoons and two forks in front of us," Jay said as Carlos walked in. "Believe it or not, DeVil and I sat there like imbeciles."

"I'm more impressed they trusted two VKs with a knife," Mal snorted. "Hey DeVil. Heard you broke up a fight between Jay and a gormless idiot. Nice work."

Carlos shrugged but Mal noticed he couldn't help but smile a bit at the praise. "We don't need the extra attention," he said softly. "Besides, Jay looked ready to rip the guy's head off."

"Probably would have too if Emir wasn't holding me back," Jay grumbled.

"Still. Nice work DeVil," Mal reiterated.

"You guys provided me protection on the Isle," Carlos said, his voice sounding a little stronger now that it was clear Mal wasn't going to snap at him. "I know you don't need protection, being Lady Persephone's daughter, but if I can…repay the favor, I will. We pay our debts on the Isle."

Mal nodded, oddly touched for the second time that day. _DeVil believes me? He lived on the Isle all his life, he'd only know me as the Dragon's spawn…then again, with how Cruella treats him, maybe it's not so odd that he believes me. After all, if anyone can recognize the actions of someone who's a parent in name only, it'd be DeVil._

"DeVil, you want to go get food?" Mal offered after a few minutes. "I think dinner's starting soon. We get there now, I bet we can beat the crowds."

Carlos smiled. "Sure. Jay, you in?"

"I'm never one to turn down food," Jay smirked. "Come on DeVil, we need to put some meat on those bones of yours if you're going to survive Tourney tryouts. From what Emir said, the sport can get brutal."

"Um yeah, is there anyway I can pass on going to those tryouts?"

"The teacher said it was either tryouts or detention."

"We're VKs! Since when do we avoid detention?"

Mal couldn't help but smirk at DeVil's snark as the three of them made their way to dinner. _Seems the little puppy has some bite to him,_ she thought. _Good._


	33. Chapter 33

The weekend came before Mal knew it, and she found that she was actually excited to watch Jay and Carlos try out for Tourney. It would at least be more entertaining than watching Blueberry do Chad Charming's homework for him.

_Honestly, what is she thinking? That Charming would just go out with her if she does his work?_ Mal thought with an eye roll. Still, a small part of her couldn't help but be a little amused by the whole thing. Blueberry was getting played by the same stuff she would pull on the Isle. Mal would always have a front row seat to that sort of thing since she and Blueberry were often in the same class at Dragon Hall.

Karma was sweet. Or at least it would if Mal didn't feel a small tug on her conscious every time she saw Evie at work. That tug was the reason why Mal spent more and more of her time throughout the week hanging out in Jay's room. She couldn't feel the tug if she didn't see Blueberry.

"Are you _sure_ we have to do this?" Carlos asked that Saturday as Mal once again sat in the boy's room, smirking in amusement.

"It's either we do this or we have detention DeVil," Jay told him.

"I believe I stated earlier that as VKs we don't shy away from detention!"

Mal looked over at Jay and the two of them shared a smirk. DeVil truly was coming into his own—or at least felt more comfortable around Mal and Jay. To be fair to the younger boy, he mainly saw them when one of them checked in on him and Gil—and if it was Harry, well let's just say there was a reason why Mal or Jay handed the check ins.

Now all DeVil needed to do was lose a lot more of the timidness around people who _weren't_ Mal or Jay and he'd be just fine.

Meanwhile, over at the girls' side of the building, a certain prince was making his way down the hall. He hadn't had a chance to talk to any of the VKs that day and he wanted to make sure they were doing alright. Ben figured that they were probably all in one location. He didn't know why but he wanted to start with Mal's room.

He had a good feeling about it.

Knocking on the door, Ben felt his good feeling disappear as Evie answered the door. That wasn't to say that he wasn't happy to see Evie but…he _had_ kinda wanted to see Mal. "Evie! Hi!"

"Hello Prince Ben," Evie said with a small smile, clearly remembering the incident from their first day since her voice lacked the flirtatious nature it'd had at their first encounter.

"You don't have to use the title Evie. Just Ben is fine," Ben said gently, smiling as he saw the books spread out on the table behind her; a small handheld mirror holding down some of the papers. "I just wanted to stop by, see if you and Mal needed anything. Where, uh, where _is_ Mal by the way?"

"You might want to try Jay's room," Evie told him, the smile still on her face but Ben could hear a slightly resigned tone to her voice. _Were...were they not friends on the Isle?_ Ben thought. _Mal wouldn't purposely exclude Evie would she?_

"It's where she always is," Evie added as Ben didn't comment, lost in his thoughts. Ben nodded though he felt his heart sink to his stomach. Oh. Mal was with Jay. Any thought or belief that Ben had that Mal and Jay were just good friends was slowly deteriorating.

"Thanks Evie," Ben told the blue haired girl, hoping his disappointment didn't show in his voice. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm good," Evie told him with a small shake of her head. Ben nodded and gave her a small smile before turning to go make his way to Jay and Carlos' room. Even though the door was shut, Ben could still hear their voices from his spot in the hall.

"Name _one_ stupid thing I've ever done!" Ben heard Jay exclaim and he couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. Certainly seemed interesting.

"I have a list. It's alphabetized," Mal's dry tone responded and Ben had to bite back a chuckle as he knocked on the door.

_You don't have a shot. After all, your dad's the one who created the Isle. Even if you did break it off with Audrey, why would Mal even want to go out with you? You've known her for like a week!_

"Hey Bennyboo," Mal's voice broke through his thoughts as she opened the door and Ben couldn't help but chuckle at the nickname, even if he hated when Audrey used it. There was just something…different when Mal used it. Ben couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hey! I was just…uh I was just wondering if you all needed anything? I hadn't seen you all day so I just wanted to check in," Ben said.

"You're going to be seeing us in about thirty minutes," Mal said. "Jay and Carlos are trying out for Tourney."

"And you?"

"Moral support and/or mocking," Mal said with a smirk. "Probably about thirty percent support, seventy percent mocking."

Ben chuckled. "Hey, do you…do you all want to walk down together? I've got to head down to practice early anyway to help set up, part of the perks of being captain."

Mal looked over at the boys and then back to Ben with a shrug.

"Sure," Mal said and the three VKs followed Ben down to the Tourney field. Mal wasn't going to lie, it was a little weird seeing Ben away from the two parasites known as Chad and Audrey. Sleeping Brat especially seemed to be more determined to remind Mal that Ben was _her's,_ constantly clinging to Ben's arm and loudly showing affection whenever Mal passed them the hall.

Mal honestly didn't care. Ben was an ally, nothing more. The only reason she wanted to see if there was a way to get Beastie Jr. out of the betrothal contract was to wipe the smug grin off of Audrey's face.

No one should be stuck with the brat as a future bride. Not even someone who's father was the reason she had been stuck on an Isle with nothing to eat but rotten food for sixteen years. Thank the Gods for her mother and her access to Auradon otherwise Mal and her crew probably would have been in worse shape.

But anyway, seeing Ben away from those two…it was like seeing a completely different person. He was more relaxed, more carefree. If it wasn't for the suit, Mal would have assumed Ben was a regular teen.

_Speaking of which, is that all he owns?_ Mal thought. _I mean, I can understand wanting to make an impression on our first day but I don't think I've seen him in anything else—and considering he tries to stop by either my locker or my room once a day to make sure I or the other VKs don't need anything, that's a little…concerning._

She shook her head slightly—why did she care exactly what Beastie Jr. wore? If he wanted to look like a miniature of a businessman, more power to him.

They made their way down to the Tourney field and the boys broke off, heading over to the locker rooms to get changed into their pads while Mal climbed up to grab a spot in the bleachers.

_Gods I wish I had my sketchbook,_ she thought as she looked out at the empty field. The canon especially seemed like it would be an interesting thing to draw—and it would stave off some boredom as she waited for the boys to come back out.

Mal didn't have to wait long as the team quickly ran out from the locker room, Jay and Carlos at the rear.

_Gods Jay, I hate to even think it but look out for DeVil,_ Mal thought. The younger boy's height difference was more pronounced than ever when he was surrounded by the other players, his arms and torso covered by the pads. It didn't help matters when, maybe half an hour into practice, Mal heard the coach yell at Carlos to get out of the 'kill zone'.

_Okay, DeVil, we need to get you into something more…tech based,_ Mal thought, remembering the device the younger boy had made that had gotten them some more channels on their televisions. Granted it also blasted a small hole in the barrier which allowed Mal more access to her magic.

She couldn't help but smile as she saw Jay move through the team, running like he was sprinting across the rooftops of the Isle looking to get his next score. The smile faded as she watched Carlos throw his stick at Jay and then ducked down as to avoid the impact.

_I get it's a sport but DeVil's under our protection Jay! Ruthless yet Loyal! What in the world are you thinking?!_

"What do you call that?!" Mal heard the coach yell and she realized that he had called Jay over. "Raw talent, that's what I call it. Come see me later, I'll show you something you probably haven't seen before. It's called a rule book."

Mal scowled as she made her way down in case they needed her should a fight break out. Jay knew what a rule book was, the Isle had its own rules. Unwritten, sure but they existed.

How else could Maleficent rule the Isle with an iron fist?

"You ever think about band?" The coach asked Carlos and Mal had to bite back a snort as she reached the bottom of the bleachers. There was no question that someone as timid as Carlos would be devoured by this sport.

_Harry'd do well here, but he'd probably prefer something with more swords,_ Mal thought. _That's that's if he can keep his attention away from the cheerleaders. And of course Sleeping Brat's a cheerleader—because why not?_

"I'll work with him coach," Ben promised and was it Mal's imagination or did Emir and Akiho just look at each other in concern? Seriously? They were concerned about Ben being alone with _Carlos_ of all VKs? Blueberry would be more concerning if Mal was being honest.

"Take a break you lot!" Ben called as he walked off with the coach.

"Mal!" Akiho waved as Mal walked over, the blond handing Mal a rather nice looking phone. "I got what you were asking for."

"It's _my_ phone you idiot!" Emir shouted but shook his head in amusement. "Passcode's 1-1-2-5."

Mal nodded and, after typing in the passcode, looked at the photo Emir had of the contract. Honestly, there _had_ to be a way out of this thing—no royal worth their salt would have signed it without a way for them to get out of it if the need arose.

And the fact that Ben stiffened every time Audrey touched him was enough of a reason in Mal's book. If she didn't think the brat wasn't capable of it, Mal might have thought that something a bit darker was going down between Ben and Audrey.

_Seriously, the Princeling stiffens the way Carlos does every time Jay slaps him on the back or pats his shoulder,_ Mal thought as she scanned the contract, not realizing that she had referenced Carlos using his first name rather than his last.

"Well?" Akiho asked after a minutes.

"Whoever made this contract is good," Mal sighed, handing Emir his phone back. "But like I said earlier, deals are kinda my dad's thing. How old did you say Ben was when this was made?"

"Three," Emir said as he pocketed his phone and Mal stiffened. _Three_? What, were Beast and Belle content to trade away their only son like he was some sort of prized stallion to be sired? The irony that Sleeping Beauty's daughter and Beast's son being bound by a betrothal contract while their parents got to marry for love was not lost on Mal.

"There you go then," Mal said, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. _Ben's an ally, nothing more,_ she thought. "There was no way _Ben_ could consent to this at the age of three. Even if Belle and Beast consented for him, if he removed his consent now the contract's null and void. My dad always says that when it comes to a deal, consent matters. Otherwise, you have a hostage situation."

"Huh, that's an oddly apt description for what Ben's in," Akiho snorted.

"And he won't break it _why_?" Mal asked.

"He considers it a promise made on his behalf and Ben keeps his promises," Emir shook his head. "Never mind the fact that he's clearly miserable. And exhausted."

"So, you two going to just gab all day or are you coming back to practice?" Ben's voice cut in causing Emir and Akiho to jump.

"Sorry captain!"

Ben shook his head in amusement. "Sorry about them Mal. They mean well."

"It's my fault," Mal said with a chuckle. "Akiho was just getting me some information I asked for."

"Oh?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at his best friend.

"The subject of your betrothal contract came up when Mal and I were leaving class earlier in the week," Akiho said and Ben honestly couldn't find it in him to be angry. Mal…Mal was asking about his betrothal contract?

_Seriously, you've known her for a week! Pump your brakes Princey, as Emir would say,_ Ben thought.

"Ben, you realize you can get out of it. Right?" Mal asked.

"Yeah dude, didn't you tell us that your mom had mentioned that if you wanted out, you could just tell her?" Emir asked. "I think she told you that back when we were twelve?"

"Well yeah but—"

"So _why_ are you staying in a relationship where you're _clearly_ miserable?" Akiho asked and it was clear to Mal that they'd had this conversation many a time before.

"Look guys, Audrey's…she's not as bad as you make her out to be—"

"Dragging you on shopping dates every Sunday when it's your only day to relax says otherwise. Dragging you on a shopping date two days after you got knocked out in the Imperial Academy game three weeks ago _definitely_ says otherwise!"

"I'd rescheduled with her two times already! I didn't have a —"

"I swear, Ben, if you say you didn't have a choice, I will whack you over the head with my Tourney stick! The fact that you already had a concussion this year be damned!"

"Bennyboo, is there a problem?" Audrey's voice broke through the commotion and Mal had to roll her eyes. Of course, someone like Audrey would notice when Ben was talking to another girl.

"No problem Audrey," Ben said, the stiff, unnatural smile back on his lips. "I was just talking with Akiho, Emir, and Mal."

"Hmm, well, maybe it's not a good idea to have Mal distract you. She might put a curse on you Bennyboo and we'd lose the Championship," Audrey simpered as she started to put her arm around his.

"You know I have to say, you certainly beat my first impression of you Audrey," Mal said, matching the princess' insincere tone and Audrey paused.

"What do you mean?"

"I never struck you for the type of princess who wouldn't mind the sweat and grime of Tourney practice rubbing against their perfect skin," Mal said innocently, giving a small shrug. "Guess I was wrong."

Audrey jumped back and glared at Mal, who simply smirked while Akiho and Emir were biting back their snickers.

"You just can't stand to see someone happy can you?" Audrey snapped. "Just like your mother."

"Oh, you mean Lady Persephone?" Mal said. "Why, I consider that a compliment Audrey."

Audrey scoffed. "Sooner or later that lie will catch up to you Mal. Bennybear, I'll see you after practice."

She leaned up to kiss his cheek but Mal saw that the princess' lips never touched Ben's skin. For the second time that day, anger ran through her body yet Mal wasn't entirely sure why. All she knew was that she needed a way to get Ben out of that contract _and_ wipe the smug grin off of Audrey's face.

That's when it hit her. Maleficent's spell book—it was still in the bottom of her bag. She hated to do it, her dad wanted her to behave and keep her nose down.

But…watching Ben stiffen with every touch, watching him change before Mal's eyes whenever Audrey was near him. Mal had to do _something_.

_What are you doing for Beastie Jr.?_

_Uma?_

_The one and only! Thought you forgot about me cuz!_

_I wasn't sure if our mind thread would work, considering we're descendants of the Gods._

_Aunt Steph's and mine work, why shouldn't ours? Anyway, you're changing the subject._

_I need a way to convince Ben to break his betrothal contract to Sleeping Brat._

_…why?_

_Because he's miserable._

_I thought we relished the misery of any member of the royal family?_

_We did. And then I met this one. Watching him be miserable is like watching Estelle beg for scraps at the table. You know, the big puppy dog eyes that just melt your heart? Plus we need him as an ally if you and Harry have any shot of coming over._

_Didn't Jay give you Maleficent's spell book? Use something in that._

_I was toying with that. But dad wants me to behave._

_You're a VK. Since when do you behave? Besides, think of this as service to Auradon. I'm sure the only people who want Beastie Jr. in a relationship with Sleeping Brat is Sleeping Brat and possibly her parents._

_She…she keeps saying Maleficent's my mom and that I'm just like her. I don't want to prove her right._

_Mali, Maleficent would use that spell book to try to take over Auradon. You're using it to save a prince from what sounds like a really bad relationship._

_…I haven't even told you any details._

_Don't need them. I hear the name Sleeping Brat, that's all I need. They want to cast judgements on us, turn about's fair play._

Mal smirked as Jay walked up, Carlos on his heels.

"Coach wants to meet up with me later," Jay said, slightly shocked. "I…I think I might be on the team."

"I'm a reserve apparently," Carlos said softly. "Until Ben can work with me."

Mal nodded and the three of them went back to their dorms, Mal heading to hers for the first time since they arrived in Auradon.

"Ben was looking for you," Evie said when Mal walked in.

"He found me," Mal told her, grabbing Maleficent's spell book out of her bag and Evie gasped.

"How'd…how'd you get _that_? If you're Lady Persephone's daughter…?"

"It's none of your business, princess but you ever hear of adoption?" Mal snarked, still flipping through the pages until she found one that she thought might work. "Maleficent is still my birth giver making this mine by right. However, that is _all_ you need to know. I'll be over at Jay's."

"What else is new?" Mal heard Evie mutter as the purple haired Godling shut the book and walked out the door to the boys' dorm.

"Jay!" Mal called as she strolled in.

"Yes Mali?" Jay chuckled from his spot on his bed, Carlos in the shower. Mal held up the spell book and wiggled it a little.

"You want to make some cookies?"


	34. Chapter 34

"Why do you always manage to talk me into these things?" Jay muttered two weeks later as Mal gathered the ingredients for the cookies they were going to make.

"Because I've known you since I was five and thanks to my dad, I'm fairly decent at smooth talking people," Mal said, propping up Maleficent's spell book as DeVil hopped on the counter after handing her the last ingredients.

"And I'm here _why_?" Carlos asked, petting the small dog that was sitting next to him. It had honestly been the shock of Mal's life when she had walked into Jay's room a few days prior to see Dude sitting on Carlos' bed.

_"I'm not seeing things am I?" Mal asked Jay, still staring at the dog in shock. "You didn't turn DeVil into a dog did you?"_

_"If I did, would DeVil be sitting next to the dog?" Jay scoffed. "Also, I don't have magic Mali."_

_"I hate when you have a point," Mal muttered. "Still, DeVil's sitting on his bed next to a dog and not running back to the Isle?"_

_"Apparently Carlos met Dude when working on his Tourney stuff with Ben," Jay muttered back. "I came back from meeting with coach to see DeVil with the dog."_

_"Somehow this still doesn't crack my top ten in terms of the strangest things I've seen."_

_"Your mom and dad are Gods. Somehow. I'm not surprised."_

"Alibi," Mal and Jay said, Mal pulling herself out of her thoughts.

"Won't it be more suspicious if we're seen together?" Carlos asked. "Plus Evie's not here."

"Blueberry can do what she wants," Mal muttered, looking over the spell book. She honestly hated the idea of doing this but Ben needed the kick in the pants to get out of the contract. That's all this was—Mal saw there was an antidote for the spell anyway. Once Ben got himself out of the betrothal contract, Mal would slip him the anti-love spell.

_The last thing I need is Prince Beastie mooning after me,_ Mal thought with an inward scoff before pausing at the last ingredient.

"Jay, we may have a problem," Mal muttered.

"What's up?"

Mal pointed to the last ingredient listed in the recipe. "The recipe calls for one tear of human sadness. _Human_ sadness Jay. I don't apply, and you and DeVil don't cry."

"We could just cut up an onion," Carlos suggested. "Would the magic really know the difference?"

"I'd rather not take the chance," Mal sighed. Of course, she'd know if an onion would have worked if Auradon actually taught students about magic. After all, the headmistress's own _daughter_ was half fairy but knew nothing about magic.

Granted she didn't seem to have the good sense the Gods gave her, considering Mal found the younger girl paling around with Blueberry in their room on the rare occasion Mal spent time in her dorm.

"Look, let's just get this started," Jay said with a frown. "We can cross this bridge when we come to it."

Mal nodded and they got to work on the cookies. Soon, however, there was nothing left to add but the tear.

"Alright…" Mal sighed. "Which one of you boys wants to cry?"

"Mal, we're from the Isle," Jay said. "You cry, you die remember?"

"Well sorry Jay but unless you're content to just stand here by cookie dough, we just wasted about forty five minutes."

"Why is this so important?" Jay asked. "I mean, I know I'm the one who suggested becoming allies with Ben but—"

"It's nothing Jay," Mal told him with a small shrug. She didn't know why she was so determined to get these cookies done. Maybe it was just to wipe the smug grin off of Audrey's face whenever the brunette princess saw her in the hall, maybe it was because it wasn't fair to Ben to be trapped in a relationship he no longer wanted to be in.

It was clear to anyone with eyes—yet Ben insisted on it. Though it could have been the reason why he was almost always in his office, much to the consternation of his shadows. Mal sighed as she thought back to her first Ben Dinner Shift as they were called.

_"Okay, which one of us is on Ben Dinner Duty?" Akiho sighed as he sat down at the table about a week after the VKs arrived._

_"I think Emir is," Lonnie said._

_"I'm sorry, what now?" Mal asked, taking a break from shoveling down food as fast as she could and tilted her head in confusion._

_"Ben often works through dinner," Emir explained. "He claims he doesn't but the number of times we've had to bring him dinner or breakfast says otherwise. What are we up to now Akiho?"_

_"I think twelve times this year," Akiho said. "Thankfully it's steak night again so a nice big slab of protein will keep him full."_

_"Wouldn't this be Audrey's job?" Jay asked. "I mean, even if she didn't know before, she knows where Ben's office is now. He gave us directions right in front of her."_

_"That would require the banshee to think about someone other than herself," Emir muttered and Mal snorted in amusement._

_"You know Ben's going to catch on that you gave her that nickname," Lonnie said dryly._

_"Ben hasn't caught on that Audrey's just in the relationship for the crown and it's so obvious that Mama Odie could see it," Akiho told her. "It doesn't help that he and Audrey have been friends longer than Ben's been friends with us."_

_"That is one toxic friendship then," Jay muttered._

_"Took the words right out of my mouth," Emir chuckled and Mal couldn't help but shake her head slightly This was her life now apparently: hating Sleeping Brat with the son of Aladdin._

_"Why don't I take the food?" Mal offered, not realizing how 'girlfriendy' she sounded. Ben was always there, making sure the VKs got anything they needed. Like she said, they repay their debts on the Isle._

_Not to mention, she was longing to knock some sense into this boy! He didn't know how good it was, having the option to work through food. On the Isle, if you did that it was likely you wouldn't eat again that day!_

_"Thanks," Emir said without a second thought, handing Mal a plate with the biggest steak he could find and a heap of potatoes._

_"Appreciated," Mal told him with a small nod of her head. It was really amazing how much the AKs trusted them-she couldn't imagine letting someone she'd known for only a week to be alone with the person who was next in line to rule the Isle. "Jay, watch my food. I'll be back."_

_Hopefully with a wayward prince, she thought before banishing it out of her head. She strode off, making her way to Ben's office and clutching the plate of food as firmly as she could to keep any from spilling off the plate._

_"Ben?" Mal called as she marched into his office, not bothering to knock._

_"Huh? Oh, hey Mal," Ben said, looking up from his paperwork. "What's up?"_

_"I'm your cue to stop working," Mal said, holding up the plate of food. "Unless you became a robot and I missed the notice?"_

_"What? But dinner's not for…" Ben said, trailing off as he looked at his watch. "Oh. I didn't realize what time it was."_

_"Obviously. Now, come on. Away from that desk," Mal insisted. "If you insist on being in here, you can eat on the couch but you're going to eat!"_

_Ben smiled slightly as he got up and sat down on the couch next to her. "You know, I don't insist on being here Mal. I just got caught up with work."_

_"If you can work through your body telling you you're hungry, then yes you are insisting. Now, eat up," Mal told him as she handed him the plate._

_Ben took the plate and began eating. "Oh, this is good," he said after swallowing. "You know, I half expected Emir or Akiho to come in."_

_"I took their shift from them."_

_"Shift?"_

_"Ben Dinner Duty shift," Mal explained. "Apparently this is the twelfth time they've done this?"_

_"Not surprised. They think I work too much."_

_"You know, I'm starting to think that too."_

_Ben shrugged. "Coronation has to get planned and thee paperwork's not going to fill itself out," he said as he continued to eat._

_"That doesn't mean you can't eat," Mal said as she shook her head._

_"I eat," Ben said softly. "Akiho'll bring me sandwiches especially if we've got Tourney practice the next day."_

_He paused and looked at Mal for a second, as if trying to see if something was wrong. "Where's your food?"_

_"Don't worry, I'm good—"_

_"You sure? No need to be hungry just because you brought me food Mal."_

_"I got Jay guarding my portion."_

_Ben nodded. "Well, I should get back to—"_

_"You barely touched your food Ben," Mal said. "That paperwork's not going anywhere. Eat!"_

_"Okay, okay," Ben chuckled as he took a bite of steak. He couldn't help but feel a bit touched that Mal felt concerned enough to check on him, even if she was potentially dating Jay. It was more than Audrey did—truthfully Ben felt like he was putting all the work into the relationship._

_"So…do you normally have this much paperwork?" Mal asked._

_"No…but like I said, coronation needs to be planned out—"_

_Mal frowned slightly. "But…by you?"_

_"It's my coronation."_

_"I just thought you'd have committees to handle this," Mal muttered._

_"It does go through my dad's council but it needs final approval," Ben explained._

_"But…isn't your dad still the king? Why wouldn't he give his final approval?" Mal asked. "Hand some of it off to him! You're not king yet, he can't just pass off his job."_

_"It's just three hours a day Mal," Ben shrugged. "Sides, it has to be done so why not by me?"_

_"Maybe because you're sixteen and should be focusing on homework, sports or whatever else you Auradon kids do?"_

_"Oh I do that too," Ben nodded. "School, homework, captaining the Tourney team along with R.O.A.R…"_

_Mal shook her head._

_"So um…thanks for bringing me dinner by the way Mal," Ben said after a few minutes._

_"You needed to eat, it was nothing," Mal said with a shrug._

_"Still, you've known me for a week," Ben said, not wanting to add that he had friends who'd known him a lot longer who wouldn't have done that. "Thanks you. You should go eat though, don't let your food get cold."_

_"Okay," Mal said softly._

_"See you around?"_

_"Sure," Mal nodded. She'd work on getting him to take a break later, at least he was eating. "School's only so big after all."_

Mal sighed and shook her head, pulling herself out of her thoughts. After that, she and Jay had doubled their 'Ben guard' efforts as they called them. DeVil really did have a good idea with that. However, it was a lot harder than it looked considering Ben didn't have classes with either of them. Or DeVil. Or Blueberry.

It didn't help matters that Ben was practically a workaholic, only stoping for breaks for Tourney, ROAR or if someone forced him. Akiho had said at one point that he was just about ready to borrow Sven from his father and use the reindeer to drag Ben out of his office.

Mal wasn't going to lie. She'd pay good money to see that.

But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that tear.

"We still need the tear," Mal muttered under her breath, looking over the recipe once more.

"Hey guys!" Lonnie said as she walked into the kitchen, not noticing Mal frantically covering up the spell book. "What are you…oh making cookies? Midnight snack huh?"

"Yeah, just couldn't sleep," Mal lied, nodding her head a little. Lonnie grinned and stuck her finger in to grab some of the dough. Mal froze, not sure how to react. Anything too sudden could be suspicious but she didn't want _Lonnie_ to be under the love spell too.

"Um, I don't think you should—"

"What? I'm not gonna double dip," Lonnie said, giving Carlos a small smile as the younger boy softly voiced his objections. "Hmm, could use some chips."

"Chips?" Mal asked, looking at Jay in confusion.

"Chocolate chips!" Lonnie elaborated with a grin as she got some from the pantry. "Only the most important food group," she added as she poured some of the chips into the bowl. She paused when she realized that none of the other kids seemed to know what she was talking about. "Wait…didn't your moms ever make you chocolate chip cookies?"

Mal froze, glancing at Jay and Carlos. She knew she was lucky—she was probably one of the few kids on the Isle who could say she was loved by her parents. But Jay still found talking about his mom to be painful even if it'd been years since her death and DeVil would probably run the other way if Cruella actually baked cookies out of fear they were poisoned.

Though to be fair, most kids would have done that too.

"Like when you're feeling sad," Lonnie elaborated, not noticing the reaction of the VKs. "And they're fresh from the oven and she gives you a big glass of milk and makes you laugh and puts everything into perspective…why are you all looking at me like that?"

"It's…it's just different where we're from," Jay told her. There was no delicate way to say 'you lot don't throw out stuff to bake cookies with' and Lonnie was one of the few AKs who were genuinely trying to make the VKs feel welcomed.

"Oh," Lonnie whispered and then tried to regain her cheerful attitude, "well I mean, I just thought…you know even _villains_ love their kids."

Mal, Jay and Carlos stayed silent; Mal didn't want to rub her relationship with her mom in the others faces. Jay had been loved by his mom—until her death when he was four. Auradon was partially responsible for it too, thanks to the fact that they had a stellar lack of a medical system.

Jacqueline may have been a thief but she truly loved her child.

_Meanwhile Carlos was sleeping in a nest of furs surrounding by bear traps. At least, if Jay was telling the truth from the one time he tried to rob Hell Hall,_ Mal thought, once again referring to the smaller boy by his first name. At least, in her head.

Lonnie frowned as the three of them stayed silent, gently resting a hand on Jay's shoulder. After all, it was safe to assume that if Mal was publicly stating she was Lady Persephone's daughter then there was some love in that relationship.

"Oh guys…how awful," she whispered, her eyes beginning to well up with tears. One of Lonnie's tears dropped down her cheek and landed into the bowl.

"Well," Mal sighed, noticing it but trying no to be suspicious and rush Lonnie out of the room. "Like we said, it…it's different where we're from."

Lonnie nodded. "Hey, if you guys ever want to spend the night, Jane and I usually have a sleepover with Akiho and Emir. Sometimes Ben joins too if he can tear himself away from his paperwork."

"Fairy Godmother's okay with this?"

"What she doesn't know doesn't hurt her," Lonnie shrugged. "Just…think it over okay?"

Mal nodded. "Thanks for stopping by Lonnie. Evil dreams!"

Lonnie chuckled. "Thanks. Sweet dreams to you guys too."

As soon as Mal was sure Lonnie was out of ear shot, she said, "let's get these guys in the oven."

Jay nodded and quickly dished out the cookies, getting the tray into the oven.

"We've got to be out of our minds," Mal muttered.

"This was _your_ idea," Jay muttered back.

"I know. But now…there's a million ways this could go wrong. But it's the only plan we've got. Unless you want to be saying Queen Audrey a few years from now?"

"So…how _are_ you guys going to get Ben to eat this cookie?" Carlos spoke up. "I'm just saying he's probably been coached a million different ways to avoid eating strange items."

"Just ask him first," Jay said with a shrug.

"You want one of _us_ , VKs, to ask Ben to eat a cookie?" Mal asked slowly.

"He _is_ a very trusting guy. I mean he spent a good ten minutes alone with me in a tree grove that was slightly overgrown," Carlos pointed out. "It shouldn't be that hard."

"Especially if Mal does it," Jay teased. "He seems to have a better report with you than he does the rest of us. Unless you want Blueberry simpering after him?"

Mal sighed but shook her head. "I can't promise he'll take it though."

"This was your idea Mal. No weaseling out of it," Jay told her. "All you can do is try."

"So…who wants to tell Lonnie that we mainly eat their leftovers?" Carlos asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Carlos, if you want to be the one to break that girl's world view into a million pieces be my guest," Mal sighed. She didn't even realize she'd called the younger boy by his first name. "We're wicked, not cruel. There's a difference."

"What did you just call me?"

"Carlos. Why, you go by something different now?" Mal snarked.

"No you…you normally just call me DeVil," Carlos said with a shrug but Mal could see a small smile pull at the younger boy's lips.

"You have a problem with me calling you by your first name?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem?" Mal asked. "Jay calls you 'Carlos'."

Carlos shrugged. "Just at Tourney practice and I think that's just so the others don't think anything's weird considering none of them refer to each other by their last name."

"Carlos, you're the only one of us with a last name," Jay snarked.

Carlos smiled slightly. "Anyone else slightly worried about their hearing when Ben breaks it off with Audrey?"

"No matter where we are in the school, we'll be able to hear her," Mal predicted as the timer went off for the cookies. There was no turning back now.


	35. Chapter 35

Mal sighed as she put her books away into her locker. Today was the day. It was the day she was going to give Ben the cookie. She didn't want to but there was no other choice—Ben seemed determined to stick his relationship with Audrey out even though any affection there was clearly one sided. Audrey only cared about one thing-the crown that came with Ben.

Said girl was currently chattering Ben's ear off about makeovers Blueberry had given some of the girls who were sitting out on the quad. Mal had to give the blue haired girl credit where it was due—she _was_ good at the whole fashion thing.

"She did it with Jane too and Fairy Godmother's not happy about it," Audrey said.

"What's the harm?" Ben asked and unless Mal was mistaken, he sounded amused by the whole thing. "Evie's not hurting anyone and it's clear the other girls like the makeovers."

"Oh Bennyboo, don't you see? It's a slippery spiral! First it's the outfits, then it's the hair. Next thing you know it's the lips and the legs and then everybody looks good and then…where will _I_ be?"

Mal ducked her head behind her locker so Sleeping Brat wouldn't hear her snort of amusement. Of _course_ that would be what Audrey took issue with. Not the fact that it was Blueberry doing the makeovers but that other girls looked as good or better than Audrey.

"Listen, Audrey—" Ben started and Mal stilled. _Is the cookie not going to be needed? Is Ben actually going to use his spine and break it off with Sleeping Brat?_

"I will see you at the game after my dress fitting for the coronation, okay?" Audrey said, cutting off whatever Ben was going to say.

"Okay," Ben sighed. As did Mal. As Audrey walked off, Mal grabbed the baggie that held one cookie. The rest were in a locked box under her bed to prevent anyone else from eating them and accidentally getting spelled themselves. They would be disposed of after Ben broke it off with Sleeping Brat and Mal gave him the antidote.

"Hey Bennyboo!" Mal teased as she closed her locker. "You have pretty good posture for someone without a backbone."

Ben chuckled as he turned to face Mal. "Hey," he said, brightening up as he saw her and walked toward Mal.

"I just made a batch of cookies. Double chocolate chip, do you want one?" Mal asked, holding up the baggie, waving it in front of him as if to tempt him.

"Oh thanks Mal," Ben said. "But we've got the championship game later and I don't eat before a big game. Can I take it for after?"

"Doesn't the team go out for 'victory pizza' after winning a game? That's what Jay told me and something tells me that's definitely the case for if you win the championship. You won't want the cookie then."

"Oh right," Ben nodded. "But I mean, we may not win. No win equals no pizza. So I'll need something to cheer me up. I'll tell you what, if we do win I'll only eat two slices of pizza so I'll still be hungry for the cookie. Deal?"

"I mean…they are fresh from the oven," Mal told him, biting her lip. "But I guess you're being smart, not to trust us I mean. Don't eat treats offered by kids from the Isle after all. I'm sure everyone's saying it."

"No, no, no! Mal, it's not that—"

"No, no, like I said, you're being smart," Mal reassured him before sighing. "Oh well, more for me."

Before she could pretend to go for the cookie, Ben snatched the bag out of her hands. "See, totally trust you," he said as he bit into the cookie.

Mal couldn't help but smile slightly at that. She didn't know why but hearing Ben say he trusted her…Gods Ben was going to hate her when he found out she spelled him. Plus her parents were going to ground her until they figured out a way to kill a God if they ever found out about this.

"Do you like it?" Mal asked softly as Jay and Carlos walked up.

Ben nodded, humming in approval as he swallowed the bite he'd taken. Before he could say anything else, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. It was almost like he was being stabbed by thousands of tiny knives from the inside.

"Yeah…I'm um I'm really liking the walnuts and the chocolate chunks," Ben said, resisting the urge to race to the bathroom before he deposited the cookie on Mal's shoes.

Mal stared at Ben in concern, she knew the spell had the best reviews but they didn't say anything about causing the person being spelled to sweat like they had a fever. Was it Lonnie's tear? Was it the chocolate? Did he have an allergy to walnuts? Oh gods, why did she put the walnuts in? They were optional in the recipe after all!

"Excuse me Mal," Ben said softly. For once not caring about how it might be perceived by others, Ben raced to the nearest men's bathroom and locked himself in a stall. Draping himself over the porcelain throne, Ben proceeded to throw up the cookie. And his dinner from the night before.

He knew what this was now. His parents had warned him back when he was twelve and his father had the 'talk' with him. When Ben was born, his parents had a christening for him as all royals did. Instead of getting the gifts of beauty and song like Aurora had, Ben had been gifted with the gift of Goodness, the gift of Hope and the gift of being immune to love potions or spells.

Really Merryweather should have come up with all the gifts. Her's were always the most practical. The issue was the side effect of the gift—because of the immunity, anything that had been laced with a love spell or potion would cause his body to forcefully expel it.

Panting heavily as the vomiting subsided, Ben wiped his brow that still shone with sweat. Mal..Mal had spelled him. With a love spell. She had feelings for him too!

Granted it wasn't the most logical jump to make but this was the first time Ben had ever been spelled like that—plus, you know, gift of Hope. He _had_ to be hopeful.

But there was another reason why Ben thought that Mal might have feelings for him. She had come into his office a couple nights prior, actually it'd been the same night as the Tourney practice that Mal had observed. Anyway, she walked in, brandishing Emir's phone like it was a weapon.

_"Ben? Put the paperwork down!" Mal exclaimed, barging into his office. "You need to answer one question, one that could change your life!"_

_"Huh?" Ben asked as he looked up, working on paperwork yet again. "Life changing questions? Mal, what are you talking about?"_

_Mal sighed and leaned on Ben's desk, putting Emir's phone between them. "Ben, answer this question honestly. No 'yes but I should really….' but an honest answer. Do you want out of your betrothal contract?"_

_Ben paused. "Well I mean, does any sixteen year old really want to be in a betrothal contract?"_

_"That's not what I asked," Mal said as she crossed her arms over her chest and Ben sighed._

_"Well I mean…look okay, honest answer? Yeah getting out of it would be great but I gave my word—"_

_"Then you'll be happy to know that the contract is null and void anyway," Mal said as she sat down across from him._

_"How? That contract's been finalized since Audrey and I were three, though we only started officially dating last year."_

_"That's exactly what I mean Ben. It was finalized when you were three. A three year old can not give consent so the contract doesn't even have the consent of the concerned parties. As I told Akiho and Emir at Tourney practice, a contract or deal needs to have consent—otherwise it's a hostage situation. Trust me Ben, I know my way around contracts and deals. It's kinda my dad's thing."_

_"Mal, I…I gave my word I'd see this contract through," Ben said softly._

_"Ben, you gave your word on a contract that was made when you were still thinking about mud puddles and thought girls were gross," Mal said gently. "Unless it's been renegotiated, you could get out of the contract right this minute and no one could be upset with you."_

_Ben shook his head. "Unless there's been a meeting that I'm not aware of, the contract hasn't been renegotiated. Mom and dad, they…they'd prefer to minimize their contact with Queen Leah."_

_"Yeah I don't blame them for that," Mal snorted. "But Ben, you're not bound to this contract. You're not a prized horse to breed, you're a teenager. If you want out, there's no legal reason to hold you to the contract."_

_Ben stared at Mal in shock. "Mal, I…I'm supposed to marry Audrey. Even if the contract's void, even if I wanted to get out of it, all it would do is show me as someone who doesn't keep their word. Not a good look for the king."_

_"Ben, every other king from here to the Underworld got to pick who they wanted to marry. Why shouldn't you? Why are you treating yourself like some sort of sacrificial lamb?"_

_"Mal, I'm not treating myself like a sacrificial lamb but a promise was made by my family on my behalf and I should keep it. Would I prefer to marry for love? Of course I would but—"_

_Mal sighed and shook her head. "Okay…I didn't want to have to play this card but…Ben you want to be a good king right? You want your people to be happy?"_

_"More than anything," Ben said, looking more than a little confused at the change in topic. "It's why I push myself so hard, to make sure I can get the work done for the kingdom."_

_"Yeah, we're gonna touch on that later. But Ben, how are you going to rule them properly or make sure they're happy if you aren't happy in the relationship you're in? Ben, anyone with eyes can see you're miserable."_

_"Mal, there's so much more to think about than my being happy. We're talking political alliances., trade agreements, Queen Leah not being a thorn in my side for the rest of my life—"_

_"So that means because some old bat can't keep her nose out of your life, you're expected to be miserable?" Mal asked. "Yeah, that seems fair Ben. Come on, even Aurora picked Phillip. If Leah's daughter ended up picking the person she ended up spending the rest of her life with, then honestly Leah has no grounds to dictate that you follow through with the contract."_

_Ben sighed. "I just…Mal I want the kingdom to do well, for my people to be happy and thrive. But I also...Audrey and I used to be the best of friends. I don't want to risk that friendship over a contract."_

_Mal bit her lip, she had heard that from Akiho and Emir. Of course she had also heard their rants on her the few times they'd forgotten Mal was with them. She had heard about how Audrey clearly only cared about the crown…about how Ben was putting in all the work in the relationship…how they were worried about what the added stress was doing to Ben…_

_"Ben, from what I've seen and from what I've heard from others…the friend you used to have? She's not there anymore," Mal said softly. "She was the only one to point out that you were the future king our first day here. That's all she sees."_

_Ben sighed. "Audrey…she does like to emphasize social standing," he muttered. "The few times we've fought were because she tried to say I shouldn't hang out with Emir and Akiho since they're only half royal and I'm 'crown prince'. Never mind the fact they've been my best friends for twelve years or the fact that I'm half royal too…"_

_"See?" Mal said with a sigh. "If Audrey's trying to say who your friends are and isn't taking into account that she's basically insulting you to your face at the same time…is your friendship still there Ben? Do you really want someone who has no problem insulting you ruling the kingdom that you seem to care so much about? Is that really the type of person you want to spend the rest of your life with? Not just as king and queen but as husband and wife?"_

_"If I'm honest? No," Ben sighed. "Audrey's more interested in the titles than the actual kingdom. She…she wasn't happy that I was bringing you guys over from the Isle."_

_Mal sighed. "Ben, I can't force you to do anything here but you're clearly not happy…for the sake of the kids who are still on the Isle, I…I can't just stand around and watch as you subject yourself to be miserable for no real reason."_

Ben shook his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts. Mal had tried to talk him out of his contract, had tried to spell him…if that wasn't the universe telling him something needed to change, Ben didn't know what was.

Fishing his phone out of his pocket, Ben dialed his mom's number and took a steady breath. "Hey mom? Do you have a sec? Everything's fine, I'm not in trouble…I was hoping to talk to you about the betrothal contract? Yeah um…do you remember when I was twelve and you told me if I ever wanted out of it, you'd get me out? Can I take you up on that? Wait, really? All I needed to do was _ask_? Mom, I…I really appreciate this. I know we spent years in an agreement with Audrey and her family but..she's just..I don't think we're compatible. You'll handle it? And talk to Aurora? Mom, thank you. I don't mean to put more work on you this close to coronation but thank you. Yeah I'll eat after the game. Love you too and thank you again. Bye."

He couldn't help but chuckle as he put his phone away. Now there was only one more thing he'd need to do—officially end it with Audrey.

Gods he had a better chance of convincing his mother that she didn't need to get a book every time they went shopping. To be fair though Ben was just as bad in that regard.

Sighing, Ben stood up and went over to the sink to rinse his mouth out. Vomiting was _not_ fun. At all.

Once he was sure his mouth was thoroughly rinsed out, he left the bathroom and went to Audrey's dress fitting. Thankfully it was on campus so Ben was able to located it easily. Fortunately, Audrey seemed to be finishing up as she was in her regular clothes and not her coronation dress. At least Ben assumed they were her regular clothes.

"Bennyboo! Did you come to walk me to the game?"

"Actually, Audrey…I was wondering if I might have a word?" Ben said as he walked into the room. He noticed that the seamstress and her assistant quietly scurried out, as if to give the royals their privacy.

"Of course Bennyboo," Audrey grinned. Ben sighed but knew he had to do this. It was only fair to Audrey.

"Audrey, I…I spoke to my mom early about our betrothal contract. I—"

"Yes? Oh, did you want to start discussing possible wedding dates? You should have told me Bennybear! We could have had the phone on speaker and I could have been there with you!"

Ben shook his head. "No Audrey. I…I called my mom to revoke my consent to the contract. We were three when it was finalized, we shouldn't be held to it when we couldn't even consent to it."

Audrey's smile became very fixed as she stared at him, obviously in shock. "Excuse me?"

"Audrey, I…I'm serious. I requested to be released from our betrothal contract as I no longer consent to it. I…I hope we can still be friends though."

"Bennyboo, you must be joking! You…you wouldn't actually ask to be released from the contract! I'll talk to Grammy, we'll get this straightened out! This has to be a mistake!"

"Audrey, there is nothing to get straightened out," Ben told her. "My consent's been revoked for about half an hour now. You can talk to your mom but I'm sure she'll call you once my mom's done talking with her."

"Wait, are you breaking up with me? You can't do this Ben! We've been betrothed since we were three! You can't just walk away from that! You can't take this away from me! I'm supposed to be queen! What, is it stress from coronation? Classes? Tourney? How can you just walk away from what we have?"

Ben sighed. "Audrey, be honest with me. What do we have? What else do we do together other than shopping?"

"We have a contract Ben! A promise we both made, not only to each other but to our families! Are you just going to walk away from that?!" Audrey exclaimed and then took a breath. "I know what this is. Professional Tourney players do it all the time to avoid distractions in important games—Chad told me. I will see you after the game Bennybear and we can go over possible wedding dates."

Giving him an air kiss on the cheek, Audrey walked out of the room. Ben stared after her in shock—while he hadn't expected she'd take it well, he hadn't expected _that_.

_Great. What am I going to do now?_ Ben thought as he started to make his way to the field. It was game time.


	36. Chapter 36

Ben made his way down to the locker room with a small spring in his step. Even if there was the hurdle of Audrey not grasping the fact that they were no longer together, Ben couldn't find it in him to care at that point.

Mal was interested in him. Interested enough to try to spell him.

Honestly the novelty of the whole thing was enough to make Ben grin. He couldn't believe he'd been stupid enough to think Mal and Jay were dating.

"Well, well, well, what's this on our captain's face?" Akiho teased as Ben walked into the locker room.

"A smile. You've seen it before Akiho," Ben shook his head.

"No, _that_ smile only shows up when you've been around Mal," Emir said, backing up his best friend. "And considering we heard Audrey shrieking up a storm as we made our way to the locker room…"

Ben shrugged as he started to take off his shirt to put on the undershirt that would go under his pads. "She didn't like the fact that I revoked my consent for the Betrothal contract."

He paused as he got changed, looking at his two best friends who seemed frozen in surprise. "Guys? Hello? The game?"

"You're free?"

"If you've got to be dramatic about it, then yes I'm free," Ben told them, rolling his eyes.

"Oh thank the Gods!" Emir exclaimed as Akiho looked skyward as if truly thanking the Gods. Ben couldn't help but shake his head at his friends' antics.

"Guys, come on—"

"We're finally rid of the Banshee!" Akiho sighed in relief. "Thank you Zeus, thank you Hera, thank you whoever else we need to thank!"

"Thank you _Persephone_!" Emir stated. "After all, she's Mal's mom and something tells me it was Mal who talked Ben into finally seeing the light."

Ben sighed and chuckled. "Yeah well Audrey's under the impression that I just broke up with her to concentrate on the Tourney game. Apparently it's what the pros do or something. I'm hoping she'll get the hint after the game…I'm going to see if I can talk to Mal in private," he told them, a small smile gracing his lips.

Akiho and Emir looked at each other and grinned.

"Ben, just consider the dramatic option when you talk to Mal. Maybe talk to Mal in public instead of in private," Emir told Ben as he and Akiho started changing as well. "It might be the only way to get through to Audrey."

Ben sighed as he tightened his pads. "Guys…I'm _not_ a dramatic person and really, have you thought about how that might affect Mal? She doesn't seem like she'd be into the dramatics either."

"Wait a minute," Akiho said as he pulled his pads on. "Dude, are you going to ask Mal out?"

"What else would a private talk mean?" Ben asked with a shrug.

"Finally!" Emir exclaimed. "Ben, you have no idea how hard it's been not to lock you two up in the art classroom just so you'd ask her out! You two have this weird 'will they/won't they' tension and it's so frustrating!"

"Shh! Do you want Audrey thinking Mal and I have been sneaking around behind her back or something?" Ben asked, hoping he wasn't blushing.

"Dude, anyone with eyes can tell you have feelings for Mal," Akiho said as he pulled his jersey up over his pads. "You kinda do this thing where the two of you get lost in your own little world when you get into a conversation and then you stare into her eyes like a lost puppy."

Ben shrugged. "They're nice eyes. Anyway I shouldn't be surprised you two noticed that, if that is what happens. The team nicknamed you two my shadows after all."

"Don't try to change the subject," Emir smirked before he grew serious. "Ben, I know you said Mal doesn't care for the dramatic but you know it's the only way to get through to Audrey. Otherwise, not only will she continue to think the two of you are still dating but she might go after Mal as well. We know Mal can take care of herself, being Lady Persephone's daughter and all, but if Audrey goes after her that could get _Leah_ involved."

Ben sighed, knowing his best friends were right. _Well, here's hoping Mal still talks to me after this,_ he thought. "Alright guys…what do you have in mind?"

Emir stared in shock. "Wow, thought it would take more persuading than that."

"Here's our thought," Akiho told Ben, "after the game, have the school spell out Mal's name. Then, I don't know, do like a big musical number. Doug can certainly give you a beat if you need it."

"Guys, isn't that a little too far? I mean, I know it's dramatic but doesn't it seem a bit humiliating for Audrey?"

"Ben, how many shopping dates has she forced you on, even when you were bone tired? How many times has she called you 'Bennyboo' or 'Bennybear' in public or in front of your parents even though you've told her to stop? She's the master of the dramatic so only the most dramatic option will get through to her. And honestly…I think other than her band of followers, you'll have pretty much the whole school on your side to take her down a peg."

Ben sighed. "Okay. I'm not entirely comfortable with this but I see your point. Plus Mal never asked for any of this—It wouldn't be fair to her if Audrey continued to think we were dating or if she started going after Mal."

"Exactly! If you won't do it for your sake…would you at least do it for Mal's?" Akiho asked gently, not knowing that he was playing what may have considered to be their trump card.

Ben ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "I'll do it," he said. "On one condition. We win the. game. If we lose, no one would even be in the mood to stay making the whole thing pointless."

"That's fair. Hey, speaking of the game, we should probably head out on the field before Coach drags us out there," Emir said. "Let's show Sherwood who's boss!"

Ben grinned as the three of them headed out to the field, the rest of the team huddled near the bench. Their coach was sitting down with his clipboard as they awaited the start of the game.

"What's the game plan Coach?" Ben asked.

"Alright this is it," Coach said. "Championship game. Ben, I want you on left forward. Chad, you're on right. William, Akiho, Emir, you're starting on defense. Conner, you're in goal. Now, I know you all have probably hated me while we prepared for the game but I can say for certain that Sherwood hasn't trained as hard as we have!"

"It was for a good cause coach," Ben said with a slight smile.

"Yeah coach, besides Ben ran us harder when you weren't there anyway," Conner chuckled. "There's never an easy practice when it comes to Tourney."

"Alright boys, I just want you to know whatever happens today we've had a good season and win or lose, I'm proud of you all. Now…can we do this?!"

"Yes coach!" The team shouted in unison before putting their fists in the center of the huddle.

"Fighting Knights on three!" Coach said. "One, two, three!"

"Fighting Knights!"

They raised their fists and the starters ran to the field while the rest of the team sat on the bench. Ben's eyes flickered to the stand for just a second. He caught a glimpse of Mal's purple hair about four rows from the top of the stands and couldn't help but smile.

_Alright, let's do this,_ he thought and the game got underway. Since Ben was no longer 'bound' to Audrey, he could focus more on the game rather than giving Audrey the smiles she was looking for as she cheered with the other cheerleaders on the sidelines. Ben made a quick pass to Chad to tie up the game near the end of the first half. It was going to definitely be a close game.

"And what a shot by Chad as the first half comes to a close!" The announcer shouted. "We're all tied up here folks with The Fighting Knights 2, Sherwood Falcons 2."

Ben glanced around as he sat on the bench, taking in deep breaths and gulping down water. Li and Conner looked pretty worn out while Jay and Carlos hadn't played all game.

"Alright. Ben, Chad, how you two holding up?" Coach asked. "I want you back out there for the second half. Miguel, you take Conner's place on goal. Any questions?"

"Coach, what about Jay and Carlos?" Ben asked. "They haven't played all game."

Coach looked over at Ben before looking back at the bench, as if he'd forgotten there were two new players on his roaster. Looking back at his worn out players, Coach said, "Akiho, Emir, you're tagged out. Jay, Carlos, you're on the field. Jay, center forward. Carlos, defense."

"What?! Are you kidding me? They'll cost us the game!" Chad protested.

"We're tied right now!" Akiho shot back. "Sherwood's already played their full roaster while Jay and Carlos are fresh! We still have another half to get through. Chad, you saw how good Jay was at practice. You're probably just still bitter that he kicked your ass! If anything, Carlos and Jay could be the difference between winning and losing the game!"

"There's a difference between practice and the championship!" Chad shot back. "You really want to put it on the line for two people who have never played a game before?"

"I'd rather put it on players who are at their full strength than ones who aren't!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Ben. said, stepping up as captain. "Chad, you're going back out there in five minutes. Stop arguing and save your energy for the game. Who goes out on the field is Coach's choice and no one else's. Besides, we've trained harder than we ever have before. We got this."

"Thank you Ben! Chad, you should have more faith in your team mates. There was a point where you had never played a game before. No one was trying to get me to not put you in. As Ben said, you wanna question my decision? You wanna be benched for the first half of next season as well?"

Chad glared but didn't respond. Ben knew his friend wouldn't want to be benched for a game let alone half a season. Next year would be the year college scouts would start looking. Being benched would ruin any chance at being recruited.

"That's what I thought. Alright, as I said, Jay, center field. Carlos, defense! Get out there!"

"Yes coach," Jay nodded and so did Carlos though the younger boy still looked unsure.

"Don't worry, I got your back," Jay told him, rolling his eyes slightly at the younger boy's timidness.

"How about my front?" Carlos asked as the team retook the field. Ben shot them both an encouraging smile before turning his full attention back to the game. The game started back up and Ben, Jay and Chad continued to work together as they tried to get a third goal. Thankfully Miguel was holding his own as goalie, denying Sherwood the chance to take the lead.

"And the last ten seconds are on the clock! You could cut the tension with a sword! Li has the ball and he passes it to Prince Ben! And…Oh! Prince Ben passes it to Jay and he sets up for a goal and…" the announcer exclaimed. "Jay scores! The Fighting Knights have won the championship!"

The announcer's words were drowned out by the buzzer, signaling the end of the game. Ben honestly couldn't believe it. Though he did join in, grinning, as most of the team tackled Jay in celebration.

"Gah! Get off!" Jay shouted from the bottom of the dog pile but Ben could hear the laughter in his voice. Only thing that could have made this better would have been if his parents were there, but Ben knew they were busy.

"Well would you look at that? The Fighting Knights' new recruit got them a championship! Folks if I may say, this looks to be a great team, the best in—"

"Now's your chance Ben," Emir told him as the announcer continued. "We won. Make with the dramatic."

Ben sighed before squaring his shoulders and bracing himself before hurrying up and grabbing the gold microphone. He could see looks of confusion coming from the team but he couldn't back down now. "Excuse me! I have something to say!"

_Dear gods, let this work,_ Ben thought before noticing Jay still looking at him in confused amusement. _Hang on, Jay was there when Mal gave me the cookie._ _Jay would think…that I'm still under a love potion. Meaning Mal thinks that too! Just act like you think someone on a love potion would act!_

He took a breath, noticing Audrey out of the corner of his eye. _Please work._ "Give me an 'M'," he shouted.

The cheerleaders and spectators looked a bit confused for a second before going along with it. "'M'!"

"Give me an 'A'!"

"A!"

"Give me an 'L'!"

"L!" The crowd cheered as Ben took a deep breath, preparing to go dramatic for the first time in his life.

"What's that spell?!" Ben asked, his team staring at him in shock. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Akiho and Emir hiding their eyes as if embarrassed by Ben. _They asked me to do this! You two said go dramatic, this is dramatic!_

"Mal!" The school cheered.

"Come on, I can't hear you!"

"MAL!"

"Mal, I really like you! More than I thought I could ever like someone! Did I mention that?" Ben shouted into the microphone as Audrey ran off the field. Ben couldn't help but feel bad, but it did seem to be the thing that got through to Audrey. Guess his friends were right. The dramatic way was the best way to get through to Audrey.

"Give me a beat!" Ben shouted, pointing toward the band. Hey, he started this. He needed to follow through.

"Uno, dos, tres, quatro!" Ben heard Doug shout and the band began to play. Ben couldn't help but bounce around as he began to sing. He saw Chad laughing, not out of malice but probably out of shock. He knew his friend had feelings for Audrey but never acted on them because of the contract. It almost seemed like Chad was stunned that Ben was doing something like this.

Though honestly he wasn't expecting the other guys on the team, the cheerleaders or the rest of the school to join in. Especially the cheerleaders. Audrey was their captain after all.

Hopping down from the canon he'd been standing on, Ben couldn't help but smile as Carlos joined in on the dancing. The younger boy was definitely good, Ben could see that. A second later, he saw Jay put the microphone stand in front of him and Ben couldn't help but look back. Even though he knew about the love potion, he still had a small sliver of doubt. Would Jay be okay with this?

But the small pat on his shoulder from the older boy and the smile alleviated all of Ben's fears and he continued on with the song; going as far as to toss his jersey up into the crowd and hoping Mal was the one that caught it. As the song wound down, Ben found himself getting tossed into the crowd by the male cheerleaders before surfing toward Mal on the crowd of students.

_Ben, this was probably the riskiest thing you've ever done,_ he thought as he landed in front of Mal. "And I would give my kingdom for just one kiss! Come on now," he sang as the music faded out. Lonnie had whirled her around apparently so the two of them were looking at each other.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ben could see Evie's dark blue hair and couldn't help but wonder why Mal and Evie were standing by each other. It'd be come increasingly clear that the two girls weren't the best of friends. But that would be a question for another day.

"Mal, will you go to the coronation with me?" Ben asked, panting a little as he was still spent from the Tourney game plus the musical number. _Please say yes. Otherwise I'm going to have to kill my best friends for putting me up to this._

"Yes," Mal said after a minute. Before Ben could respond, Audrey dragged Chad up to the stands and took the microphone. Ben was more stunned at her sudden reappearance than her taking the microphone if he was honest.

"Chad's my boyfriend now," she said, Chad more than a little shocked at the announcement. "So I don't need your pity date to Coronation, Bennyboo."

Ben stared at Audrey slightly shocked. _I…I guess Mal was right, there really is nothing of our friendship there. Hell even Chad looks shocked considering she barely gave him the time of day before._

"She said yes!" Ben said, yelling into the microphone after taking it back from Audrey. Ben chuckled as Jay dragged him back down the stands to get changed. He wanted to do it as quickly as possible, to explain to Mal that he wasn't spelled like she thought.

Little did the prince know that Mal was already booking it back to her dorm, in search for a spell book and an antidote.


	37. Chapter 37

Mal raced back to her dorm room, determined to grab Maleficent's spell book and start working on that antidote. After that performance, she knew it was only a matter of time before her mom found out if she didn't already know.

_Gods, I'll be grounded until they find a way to kill a God. So basically forever,_ Mal thought as she entered her room.

_Why?_

Mal nearly jumped out of her skin at hearing her brother's voice in her head. Even after sixteen years, she still wasn't used to the mind link. Granted she only really started using the mind link when she was about thirteen so really it shouldn't be surprising that she wasn't used to it after only three years.

_Hadie? What in dad's name are you doing?_

_Apparently finding out something that can get you grounded. I didn't know that was even possible. So…why would mom and dad ground you until they found a way to kill a God?_

_…you're not going to let this drop are you?_

_Nope!_

_I hate you so much right now Hadie!_

_Love you too, sis. Now you gonna quit stalling and tell me or should I just tell mom that there's something she needs to talk to you about while she's in Boreadon?_

Mal sighed and shook her head. _Fine. But you need to swear to me that you won't tell mom or dad. Pirate's honor Hadie._

There was silence on her brother's end and Mal couldn't help but think that she'd gotten out of actually telling her brother what had happened.

Alas, her luck couldn't have been that good as Hadie came on the line soon after.

_…mom wants to know why Prince Ben was singing to you?_

_How does mom know about that?!_

_She said it was on Auratube, whatever that is? All the Gods are talking about it—it's quickly gaining views. Does this have something to do with why you'd be grounded?_

_…yes Hadie, it does._

_I don't blame you for not wanting mom or dad to know. They still treat me like I'm an infant sometimes with their safety rules. I get they're centuries old Gods but they do have to accept that we're growing up right?_

Mal had never wanted to hug her brother more in her life. Of course the innocent mind of her ten year old little brother would go more toward the slightly overly protective nature of their parents rather than something more cynical.

Like the fact that Mal had spelled Ben.

_Hadie, can I get back to you?_ Mal asked as she grabbed Maleficent's spell book.

_Sure thing. I'll just be here watching dad yell at Pain. It's amusing seeing how orange he can get._

_You are so weird little bro._

_Takes one to know one big sis._

Mal snorted in amusement as she closed her link to her brother and quickly whipped through the pages of the spell book as she searched for the antidote for the love potion she'd given to Ben. Smiling slightly as she found it, Mal dog-eared the page and shut the book, ready to go make the antidote.

Before she could turn to leave, however, her eyes caught a glimpse of Blueberry lying on her bed; her face covered by her pillow. Mal was no idiot, she could see that despite Blueberry's best efforts to hide it that the other girl was crying.

She must have left the stands the minute Audrey had announced that Chad was her boyfriend but Mal didn't remember seeing her leave. She remembered the feeling of wanting to murder the blue haired girl as she hung on Mal's arm, jumping around while Ben put on his performance. The only reason Mal had been standing next to Blueberry in the first place was because Lonnie saw her when they were on their way to the game and invited her to sit with them.

Lonnie, apparently, had been one of the girls who got a clothing makeover by Blueberry that Sleeping Brat had been up in arms about. Mal had rolled her eyes but tolerated the blue haired girl's presence in favor of cheering on Jay and Carlos, along with Akiho and Emir. And Ben.

_Crying? Over Charming Jr.? Seriously? I mean I get you want a prince but have some standards woman!_ Mal thought, making sure that her mental link was secured and that she hadn't accidentally connected to anyone. Last thing she'd want was for her mom or dad to hear her.

Uma would be nice though, her snark would be well appreciated. She still missed her cousin, she couldn't hide it. Mal had a piece of paper under her bed that ticked off the number of days until Ben was king and he could start inviting more kids over.

Plus, Uma coming meant that Mal would no longer have to room with Blueberry. A win-win in Mal's book.

Still, watching Evie cry over Charming Jr., Mal wasn't going to lie —it was hard to watch. _She_ was the only one who got to make Blueberry act like that. Female VK and forced roommate privilege.

"Blueberry, are…are you okay?" Mal asked and Evie lifted her head in shock. Mal didn't blame her, she was still shocked she was doing this. But evidently she was.

"Oh…yes I'm fine Mal," Evie said softly, quickly wiping her eyes. Mal shook her head.

"You're a lot of things Princess but a good liar, you are not."

"Why do you even care?" Evie muttered, glancing downward. "You've got Jay and now Carlos. You don't need me."

Mal sighed but walked up to the other girl's bed. "We're VKs," she said after a minute of silence. "I may not particularly like you but…we're the only VK girls here. Anyone messes with you, they mess with me. That sort of thing."

"You mean like…safety in numbers?" Evie asked, as if daring to hope what she was hearing was right. Mal couldn't help but smile a little at Evie's hopeful expression on her face.

_Maybe she wasn't all bad,_ Mal thought and then paused. _Oh Gods, I think Ben, Emir and Akiho are rubbing off on me. Still…maybe I had been a little hard on Blueberry all these years. Besides, being petty over not being invited to a party when we were six? What am I, the Dragon?_

Shaking her head slightly, and wondering why she even cared over whether or not she'd been cruel to the other girl since she'd known her, Mal sighed. "Evie…no one's… no one's been giving you a hard time have they?"

"What did you call me?" Evie asked after staring at Mal in shock for a few minutes.

"Evie. Last I checked that was your name. Unless you want me to use your full name?" Mal shrugged. First Carlos, now Evie. Why was everyone shocked that Mal used their first names?

"I didn't know you _knew_ my name, the number of times you and Uma would call me 'princess' or 'blueberry'," Evie sighed. "But…to answer your question Mal, no. Other than Audrey's comment about my not having 'royal status' and Chad playing me for a fool, no one's been giving me a hard time."

"We sure one of Gaston's kids didn't somehow get adopted by Cinderella?" Mal muttered.

"I…I don't see how that would be possible but Chad certainly acts like it," Evie sighed.

Mal nodded before taking a breath. Maybe she'd been in Auradon too long but it was time to at least offer an olive branch. At least while they roomed together—no one got to mess with Blueberry except for _her_.

Er…she meant Evie. Yeah, that was going to take some getting used to, the whole calling the bluette by her first name thing.

_Wait, we're calling who by their first name now?_

_Do you ever have the mind link on mute Uma?_

_Of course not Mali! Now, why are we referring to Blueberry by her first name?_

_…not now okay? I'll explain everything later._

_Okay. Hey, why is Aunt Steph asking me if you've said anything about Prince Beastie quote giving you his kingdom for just one kiss end quote?_

_I'll explain later._

_But—_

_LATER!_

"You know…I bet if Sleeping Brat had the ability to see like you do, she wouldn't need to put people down to feel better about herself," Mal said softly, ending the conversation with Uma and bringing herself back to her conversation with her current roommate.

Evie couldn't help but give Mal a slight smile at that. "I…I guess I am pretty talented."

"Don't take this to mean we're friends Evie," Mal said but the usual hatred or apathy was gone from her voice. "But maybe…we could stop being enemies and start being allies? After all, like you said, there's safety in numbers and we _are_ the only two VK girls in Auradon."

"I'll take that," Evie said softly, looking over at Mal. "Anything's better than being terrified you're going to fry me when you walk into a room."

Mal snorted. "The thought may have crossed my mind but they frown on murder here. Plus my parents would have grounded me the minute your soul found its way to the Underworld."

"Mal?" Evie asked after a minute of silence. "If…If Lady Persephone and Lord Hades are your parents, as you said, why did you never say anything on the Isle?"

Mal sighed. "Look, I know you've got questions Evie but we're not there yet. Jay knows because we've been friends since I was five. He was there through it all. Carlos is in the same boat as you information wise."

"Oh," Evie said softly. "Okay, that makes sense."

"I'm…I'm not saying I won't tell you," Mal said after a few minutes. "Especially if my mom comes to Family Day. We're…we're not at that point yet. However, I _can_ tell you that you're probably not going to have a smoke bomb come your way anymore. At least not one thrown by me."

"I'll take that," Evie sighed. "I probably won't be lucky enough to have the same deal from Uma when she comes over here. She'll probably be in the next group—I'm happy for her of course but…part of me wishes Dizzy could come over sooner."

"Dizzy?"

"Dizzy Tremaine," Evie elaborated and Mal nodded, knowing exactly who Evie was talking about. Dizzy, also known as Celia's cousin, was a ball of energy and had the most contagious smile that ever existed. _How_ she was related to Anthony was something that confused all who met her.

_Hey Uma?_

_Yeah? You gonna tell me about Prince Beastie wanting a kiss from you?_

_Not right now. Hey, do we have Dizzy under protection?_

_Considering she's Celia's cousin…yes._

_And the Warf Rats know she's under protection?_

_Okay stop. One: why are you calling Tremaine by her first name and two: why are you making sure she's under protection._

_One: because I also call Anthony by his last name and I didn't want to confuse the two and two:…Ben asked me to be his date to coronation!_

_…HE DID WHAT?!_

_Sorry Uma, got to go!_

_Oh no, you do not get to—_

Mal quickly muted her mental link and tuned back into her conversation with Evie. She knew she'd probably pay for that later, either by a mom grilling or by a smoke bomb from Uma.

But it was worth it—the mental link was _not_ the best place to try to explain to Uma that she was entering into a tentative alliance with Blue—with Evie.

"Hey Mal, Jane and I are gonna go grab dinner. You want to come?" Lonnie asked as she popped her head in.

"Sure," Mal nodded. "Evie, you in?"

Evie paused, as if not expecting an invitation. "I…I thought…."

"Evie, it's _dinner_. We may not be friends but you still deserve to eat," Mal said rolling her eyes. "Besides, the boys are probably off gorging themselves on victory pizza right now so it's not like we need to grab them."

"Speaking of boys…Mal, Ben's performance is the talk of the school," Lonnie said.

"Yes, and _thank you_ Lonnie for whirling me around when I was trying to leave," Mal told her as the three girls started to make their way to the cafeteria. As Lonnie began to tease Mal and Evie started chuckling, Mal never realized that she had forgotten the main reason she had been rushing to her room in the first place.

The antidote to the love potion.

_Well_ , Mal thought after triple checking that her mental link was on mute, _I can always make the antidote tomorrow. Jay and Carlos are with Ben, it's not like…why did I already forget those two participated in that number this afternoon? Okay new plan, panic. But just not in an obvious way. Last thing you want is for people asking questions._

She'd resisted the temptation to murder Evie this afternoon. She wasn't sure how well her willpower would hold a second time if Ben continued to act the way he had.

_Especially if Sleeping Brat tries to confront me,_ Mal thought as she walked into the cafeteria. _I will gladly turn into a fireball if that's what it takes to get her off my back._

"Hey Jane," Lonnie smiled at a small girl with an unfortunate bob hairstyle. Mal nodded, she'd met Jane before but hadn't been the most welcoming of hosts. Considering Jane was paling around with Evie at the time and Mal…well maybe it's better if she didn't dig up the past.

"Hey Lonnie, hey Mal, hey Evie," Jane said with a smile as the other three girls sat down next to her. "How ridiculous was that game today?"

Mal bit back a groan as the other girls chuckled. She should have expected that.


	38. Chapter 38

It was hard to believe but Mal had actually forgotten about the love spell and about Ben until the next day. Of course, it helps ones memory when the walking reminder comes right up to them.

"Hey Mal," Ben said and Mal was at least happy to see he wasn't _as_ peppy as he'd been the day prior. At the very least he didn't seem like he was about to burst into song. Maybe the spell had worn off and he hadn't realized he had been under it? Nah, that would be a really weak spell if that was the case-and Mal didn't see Maleficent having weak anythings in her spell book.

"Hey Ben," she nodded and gave him a small smile. "Good game yesterday. Bet you're happy that you won."

"Thanks and yeah, it's great to end the season on a high note," Ben nodded. "Listen, I wanted to ask you. I know I asked you to coronation and you said yes but…would you maybe be interested in going out with me later this afternoon?"

Mal stilled, she definitely hadn't expected _that_ —which now that she thought about it, she definitely should have at the very least. The boy was under a love spell for her dad's sake!

_I've never even been on a date before! There's no way Ben would actually enjoy himself…wait, why do I care? He's spelled. Wait, did he ever break up with Sleeping Brat?_ Mal thought, a bit of her irritation toward Chad coming out in her thoughts. _Gods are all the guys in Auradon like this? Just jumping from girl to girl?_

"Um Mal?" Ben said hesitantly.

"Oh!" Mal said, realizing she'd been just standing there and Ben had been expecting an answer. "Uh, sure Ben."

"Great! I'll pick you up later! It's a date!" Ben said before walking off. Mal stared after him in shock. What had she just done? She didn't know the first thing about getting ready for a date!

_Mom! Help!_

Mal shook her head, she could handle this without involving her mom after all. Wait a minute, Blueber—I mean Evie! They _may_ have only just started their alliance but maybe this could help it grow?

_Mal? What is it? Mali, what's wrong?_

Mal jumped slightly upon hearing her mother's voice in her head as she tried to find Blueber—Evie. Yeah, definitely going to have to work on that.

_Nothing, mom, never mind. I'm fine, just…can you be on standby? Please?_

_Oh no young lady! You don't just shout 'help' through your mind link and then tell me to go on standby!_

_Mom, really, it's nothing. I'll just go and see Blue—I mean Evie for this type of help. You're busy._

_Mal, I'm never too busy for you…wait did you just say Evie? If I remember your rants on her, this help either involves make up or a boy. Does this have anything to do as to why Prince Ben was singing to you after the Tourney game yesterday?_

Mal sighed but stopped as she saw Evie with Doug, sitting at a picnic table. Evie was smiling, showing Doug a small booklet. Mal didn't have the heart to disturb them. They may have been only allies but the blue haired girl was slowly growing on Mal—like a fungus.

_Mom? Can…can you promise not to tell dad? At least not yet?_

_On one condition Mali—you're not in trouble or hurt are you?_

_No, no, nothing like that! It's…Prince Ben just asked me out. On a date! Mom, I don't know what I'm going to do! This is a prince—actually a crown prince we're talking about and I"m just a girl from the Isle! Not that I care but I don't even have anything to wear! I only own two dresses and neither one measures up to a date with the crown prince! He'll laugh his ass off—_

_Mal, Mal, honey calm down. Also, watch your language. But Prince Ben is not going to laugh at you. You don't have to wear a dress on a date though, if you want to, I'm sure we can make one of your dresses work. Meet me in your dorm in a minute or two okay? We'll go through your clothes, see what we can work with. Knowing you, you'll want your dark purple dress with the flowers on it. We can make that work if you want._

_O…okay mom. I still don't know how we're gonna make this work…wait, I'm not going to have to wear makeup am I? Mom, I don't know anything about that!_

_I do though sweetheart. Relax._

_You know that's not such an easy thing._

_I know. But you'll be fine. Do you think I'd do anything to make you feel embarrassed?_

_…no._

_Exactly. Now like I said, I'll be over there in a couple of minutes to help my daughter get ready for her first date._

_Are you going to cry?_

_Possibly. I missed five years of your life Mal and then missing half the year every year being in Auradon…you grew up too fast._

_Mom…it's just a date—_

_It's your first date Mal…something I thought I'd never experience because I'd be here in Auradon while you were on the Isle._

_Mom, I wouldn't have had a date on the Isle. We don't date on the Isle. It's flings or flirtationships at best. You wouldn't have been happy to hear about that._

_You're right, I wouldn't have. But thankfully that is not something you need to worry about. Now like I said Mal, I'll meet you at your dorm in a few minutes. And don't worry, I won't tell your father or brother about this until you say I can._

_Thanks mom._

_You're welcome Mali. Love you._

_Love you too mom._

Mal disconnected the mind link and went back to her room, knowing she had to hide the Dragon's spell book if it was still out. Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, Ben had paused what he was doing as he had come to a very important realization.

He had no idea how to plan a date. Especially a last minute one.

_Audrey usually handled our dates, if you could call them that. Shopping dates every weekend was not my idea of a good time. But…I don't know if what I would like would be what Mal would like._

Whipping out his phone, Ben called the one person he knew would have at least a helpful suggestion or two.

"Hey Benji, what's up?"

"How do you plan a date?" Ben asked, the words flowing from his mouth before he even thought of saying 'hello'. "Like a _good_ date? One I could feasibly throw together in like thirty minutes?"

"You mean to tell me you're actually going on a date with someone who is not going to drag you round every shop in Auradon?!"

"Yeah, didn't you hear? I broke up with Audrey—now focus Chip!"

"No, no I definitely heard about that but we can discuss that later. Okay, first of all what's your main idea? Like are you thinking restaurant? Picnic? Movie? Arcade?"

"No, not an arcade. She doesn't seem to like crowds. A picnic would be a good idea, be a nice way to really get to know each other."

"Okay where's the picnic going to be? You'll want privacy, otherwise the vultures that call themselves the press will be chasing you like the hounds of Tartarus."

"Damn that's a good point. Uh, what about the Enchanted Lake? That's got plenty of privacy!"

"Good, good, okay. We have the idea and the location. Now time for the finer points, like food. Does she have any allergies? The last thing you want is for her to eat something and have to have half your date at the hospital."

Ben paused as Chip said that. Allergies. How had he forgotten about freaking allergies?! "Um..I don't know," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Ben! When you're going on a date with someone, you need to know if you can't eat something! Particularly if you're packing up a picnic!"

"I know, Chip!" Ben sighed. "I just…I got really excited to ask her out. Besides, she's been here like three weeks. Allergies haven't come up in conversation."

"You're going on a date with someone you've only known for like three weeks? Well she must be enchanting."

Ben chuckled. "You'd really like her Chip. But now what am I going to do about the allergies thing? Last thing I'd want is to wind up feeding her something she can't eat!"

"The only thing you can do! Ask her!"

"Okay, okay. I'll text her after we're done talking. Thanks for your help on this by the way."

"No problem Benji. You just need to keep it simple. Despite what Miss Leech probably told you, dates don't always have to be flashy."

"So that's it? Keep it simple, pack a picnic and find out what she's allergic to?" Ben asked.

"And remember your manners, don't be late picking her up! She'll take that as a sign that you're not really interested. Have her back to her dorm by curfew, and walk her to the door."

"Manners, curfew, simple, picnic, allergies, don't be late, walk her to the door," Ben rattled off. "Oh Gods, okay. Thanks again Chip. I _really_ don't want to mess this up."

"You really like this girl huh?" Chip asked, his tone gentle.

"I do," Ben nodded. "I…I can't explain it Chip. I just know that when she's around, things make sense. She doesn't care about my title, she's able to tell me when I'm being stupid. I…Chip I feel like a regular teenage boy around her, not someone who's going to be king soon."

"Well if I didn't know about your christening gift, I'd be worried you were spelled," Chip said with a chuckle. "Ben, little bro, just be yourself. That's who this girl likes. Otherwise she wouldn't have agreed to go on a date with you. Oh! Crazy idea but bring towels on your date. I know you Ben. If you're going to the Enchanted Lake, you're going to end up swimming."

"Got it," Ben nodded. "Also…Miss Leech?"

"My nickname for Audrey."

"You never used that around me before."

"Ben, don't you know the unspoken rule? Always say you like the girlfriend. If you don't, there's like some weird force that only makes want to spend more time with the girlfriend. But ex's are a completely different animal. Speaking of which, I'm surprised the Beauty Matriarch from Hell isn't blowing up your phone after breaking the contract. Not to mention your little musical number yesterday."

"Wait, you know about that?! How?!"

"Benji, all your classmates have cameraphones. Someone uploaded the video to Auratube—it's gone viral! I have to say, you'd make a good cheerleader if you were interested."

Ben chuckled but then paused. "Wait, did you say _viral_? As in other people in the _kingdom_ saw that? It was just something I had come up with on the spot! Emir and Akiho put me up to it anyway."

"Ah, I might have known those two were involved," Chip chuckled.

"Yeah, Audrey was in denial that the contract was declared null and void so they thought it would be a good idea to go dramatic," Ben sighed. "Have to say, it seems to have worked. Though she's probably badmouthing me to her parents right now. Oddly enough I can live with that."

"Ben, remember this, if you do have to do battle with Leah, your parents are going to have your back. And yeah, Audrey's probably badmouthing you to Leah and her parents but here's the thing. You wouldn't have been able to get out of the contract without your mom _and_ Aurora's approval. Since you're talking about dating your mystery girl, I'm guessing you got it."

"You really think Audrey would let me get within five feet of another girl I was interested in if I didn't?" Ben chuckled.

"Well…and I'm just throwing this out there Ben, but I've never _seen_ you interested in another girl. But going off of what I know about Audrey, I'd have to say no. You know, though, that this won't be like your relationship with Audrey right? There's no contract guaranteeing a good end result. There'll be work involved."

"I know. I'm aware it's not going to be a walk in the park…she's worth it though," Ben said softly.

"Good. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing. Now, I'll want the details of how your date went. Oh! One more thing. Your security team, what are you going to do about them?"

Ben sighed. "Can I say 'give 'em the the day off'? Having James and Brad around would more than likely freak her out."

Chip chuckled. "If you had said anything else, I'd be worried about you bro. Just don't let your mom know—you know Belle would freak out over you being without your security detail. You know one of these days they're going to start insisting on following you places. I think you give them more days off than any other person with security. They'll feel like they're not doing their job properly. Actually, in a few days, you're not going to have a say in the matter. You'll be king—no one in their right mind would let the king roam without security."

"I know," Ben sighed. "But at least I can wrangle it for my first date that doesn't involve shopping."

"I know Ben. Just be careful okay? Don't do anything that people might say is, I don't know, ridiculous?"

"Ha, ha," Ben said dryly. "Very funny. I'm never going to live that down am I?"

"Well your classmates might forget it in a couple of weeks. With me? Probably not, no. Now, if your _parents_ saw the video, you'll probably be getting 'ridiculous' jokes for the rest of your life."

"It would be too much to hope that mom and dad _haven't_ seen that video yet right?" Ben asked with a small chuckle. If it'd already gone viral, there was a huge chance one of their advisors had informed them so they wouldn't get blindsided by the press.

"Do you want the answer that'll make you feel better or the reality?"

"The fact that you're even asking that question means they've seen it," Ben sighed. "Though if that's true, I'm surprised _they_ haven't been blowing up my phone."

"I'll let you in on a little secret Benji. I was walking past your dad's office a few hours ago…guess who he was on the phone with?"

"Chip, you know I'm horrible at guessing games. Just tell me."

"The Beauty Matriarch from Hell."

"Dad was on the phone with Queen Leah?"

"Yep! Apparently the reason why she's not blowing up your phone is because she's too busy blowing up your _father's_ phone trying to demand that the contract be reinstated. Obviously she thinks that since you're not king yet, Adam still has power over you to force you back into it. I'd check your email, you probably have like thirty demands for a meeting."

Taking a quick peak at his email, Ben saw that Chip was right. "Actually, there's about forty five demands…and counting, an email just came in," he said with a small sigh. "Chip, you didn't happen to catch my dad's response to Queen Leah's demands, did you?"

"He said no, said that you didn't want to be in it anymore and that you were your own person and had the right to your own choice. Although some of that may have have had something to do with the fact that Belle was standing right in front of the desk. I couldn't see her face but I'd bet she was glaring at him. Probably almost daring him to agree to it so he could see what would happen."

Ben sighed in relief. "Oh thank Zeus! Though, I don't blame dad. Queen Leah's on the council after all, he's still got to work with her. That being said, thank the Gods mom was there. I don't want to know what the result might have been otherwise."

"So the reason they're not blowing your phone up about the video? Their phone is tied up battling Queen Vampire Bat for you."

Ben frowned. "I mean, don't get me wrong I'm grateful but this was my decision. Shouldn't I be the one dealing with Queen Leah?"

"In someways yes, but Ben they're your parents. They're not going to just sit there while she tears into you. I feel sorry for your dad's ears though, she was screaming so loud you'd have thought she was on speakerphone when I walked past."

"But I'm going to be king soon. I won't have other people to fight my battles for me when that happens."

"Ben, all I'm saying is be ready for battle because the Bat is steamed. She was screaming about 'public humiliation of Audrey' and that the only compensation she'd accept is the contract being reinstated and that there was no valid reason to cancel it."

Ben nodded. "I'll talk to dad for when the time comes. Right now, I'd like to focus on my date with Mal and not the impending battle with Queen Leah."

"Mal huh? That's an unusual name," Chip said with a smile in his voice. Ben chuckled, thankfully Chip didn't seem to know where Mal came from. Not that Ben cared but he wasn't stupid. He was hopeful—there was a difference. He knew people would probably not care for the future king going out with a girl from the Isle.

Ben honestly didn't care. He had checked the written records the day after Mal arrived and she'd been right, she was the daughter of Lady Persephone and Lord Hades. There'd been an asterisk by Lady Persephone's name to signal adoption but Ben didn't care about that—blood didn't dictate family.

Chip was his brother in all but blood after all.

"It's a nickname, short for Malinda but she likes to go by Mal," Ben said with a smile.

"Well I'd love to meet her if the date goes well. Tell you what, I'll come round on Family Day. As for the food, find out what her allergies are and text me. I'll have mom whip up some stuff and set it up at the Enchanted Lake for you."

"Thanks Chip, that'd be great!"

"And don't worry, I'll have mom keep it under wraps. Though if your mom saw the video, she probably has it figured out by now. She's a smart one, Belle."

"Don't I know it," Ben chuckled.

"Okay, I'll let you go Ben. Like I said, find out Mal's allergies or heck just any food she doesn't like and then text it to me. Mom'll whip it up and I'll drop it off."

"Thanks again Chip. Bye."

"See you Ben," Chip said as he hung up. Ben sighed before firing off a text to Mal. He still couldn't believe he had forgotten about allergies of all things. His phone pinged and Ben read the text from Mal: Hey Ben. No, none that I know of.

Shooting off a quick text to Chip, Ben got up and made his way to his dorm. He needed to get ready after all.


	39. Chapter 39

Mal paced her room, slightly nervous for her mom's arrival. Maleficent's spell book had already been shoved into her dresser drawer, under her socks, as to avoid detection. The last thing she wanted was to see the look of disappointment on her mom's face as her mom realized Mal had spelled Ben.

_I should donate that book to the Museum,_ Mal thought after making sure the mind link was temporarily muted. _After all, once I make the antidote to the love potion cookies, I won't need it and Maleficent did write a bit of information on the Fae in there. It'd be a shame to just burn it._

But this wasn't the time to worry about that. Mal needed to prepare for her date with Ben.

Gods! A date! Mal hadn't been lying when she told her mom dates weren't done on the Isle—the only 'relationship' Mal had had was a flirtationship with Harry when they were thirteen. Mainly to see what it was like since she had never had one before. If Mal was honest, it was weird—it was almost like dating Hadie.

Besides, after Uma had caught them in the clubhouse two weeks into the flirtationship, Mal decided to end it. Thankfully Harry agreed that it just felt too weird and their friendship hadn't been ruined. All they had been doing was cuddling and Harry had just put a kiss on her forehead, the same way he would Harriet. Didn't matter though, the look on Uma's face would be enough to guilt Mal for the rest of her days.

_Gods I can't believe I agreed to this,_ Mal thought, bringing herself back to the present. _I don't know the first thing about being girly._

_Mal, honey, all a date is really is just looking nice and being yourself,_ Persephone's voice gently rang through her head.

_Well which one is it mom? I can't do both,_ Mal told her, shaking her head slightly as the mind link was once again used. _I can't 'be myself' while trying to look like a prissy princess._

_Honey, you don't have to look like a princess. Prince Ben asked you out because he liked you for who you are, not how you looked._

_Gods I must be out of my mind to agree to this._

_No Mali sweetheart, you're not. There's nothing wrong with just wanting to be a teenage girl for once._

_Mom, the teenage girls here are nothing but shallow and vapid idiots…well with the exception of Lonnie. Mulan's daughter. She's the only girl around here who knows how to use a sword._

_Why am I not surprised?_ Persephone's voice asked, sounding amused.

Mal chuckled before sighing. _Mom, why am I doing this?_

_Only you can answer that sweetheart,_ Persephone said gently. A first date was supposed to be fun, not something to freak out about.

Mal sighed again. There was really only one reason that she could tell her mom-there was no way saying that she was going on a date because Ben was under a love spell that she still hadn't removed would fly as an excuse. _I'm doing it to get in his good books, so that Uma, Hadie and Harry can come here._

_Mali, dear, he asked you on a date. Something tells me you're already in his good books._

_Mom, I'm a VK in Auradon. The only person who's good books I'm in are yours and the other VKs._

_Mal, I've spent a lot of time in Auradon. Prince Ben doesn't strike me as the type of person to spend time with someone he doesn't like._

_If you say so. He sure spent a lot of time around Sleeping Brat when I first arrived and I don't think anyone likes her._

_Mal, honey, that was probably out of obligation._

Mal sighed. _You know that was one of the few good things about the Isle. If you didn't like someone, you could just say so and avoid them._

_Sweetheart, just relax okay? I'll be there soon. Why don't you take a shower and get changed?_

_Okay mom. See you soon._

Mal smiled slightly as she ended the mind link call. It was weird but there was a small, very small, part of her that was looking forward to this. If only because she got to see her mom. Getting the chosen garment out of her wardrobe, Mal headed into the bathroom. Quickly closing the door, Mal hung the dress up on the doorknob before hopping into the shower.

She couldn't help but sigh as the water from the shower hit her skin. She may not have been a girly girl and she may have missed parts of the Isle but the hot running water was something Auradon had that she wouldn't give up for the world. It was heaven. Uma and Harry were going to love it when they got there.

Quickly finishing up, Mal stepped out and dried off before slipping the dress on and stepping back into her bedroom. She wanted to hate it, but when she looked into the mirror she had to admit that it was pretty. _She_ was pretty. It wasn't that she was ugly per say but Mal knew she would never be the type of person to turn a guy's head. At least…not an Isle guy.

She shook her head, preventing any thoughts from creeping into her head. Ben was just being polite with the attention he gave the VKs—and the only reason he asked her out was because he was still spelled.

A knock at the door interrupted Mal's mental diatribe. "Yeah?"

"It's me, Mali. Can I come in?"

Mal took a breath before nodding. It took a second for her to realize that there was a solid wooden door between her and Persephone. "Um, yeah mom!"

"Oh my! Don't you look lovely already!" Persephone said with a smile as she came in and closed the door behind her.

"Thanks mom," Mal muttered, brushing some hair out of her eyes. The nice thing about having short, thin hair was that it didn't take too long to dry in the air especially in a land of sun. Persephone patted the bed and took Mal's brush off her dresser.

"Humor your old mother?"

"Mom, you're not old," Mal rolled her eyes but sat down next to Persephone. She had to admit, there was nothing better than her mom brushing out her hair. Mal didn't even mind the small braid Steph put in it. It wasn't too flashy and Mal had to admit, it looked nice.

"You won't need much make up," Persephone told her with a smile as she put the brush back on the dresser.

"Oh thank Gods," Mal sighed in relief. All she wanted was to avoid being a prissy princess.

"Just a bit of black eyeliner and a small amount of blush to give you some color," Persephone added as she took out the makeup. Mal nodded, looking at the eyeliner with a bit of apprehension. She trusted her mother of course, but after six years of living only with Maleficent, Mal had a slight wariness of sharp things coming anywhere near her.

Yes, even swords. Only a crazy person would _welcome_ a sword being brandished at them.

"It's alright sweetheart. I won't poke your eyes," Steph said, her voice gentle as if knowing what Mal was thinking about. "I promise."

"I know, I trust you mom," Mal said softly. Persephone smiled gently as she picked up the black pencil.

"Okay Mal, I'm going to do the eyeliner first," she said. "Now, I'm not going to poke your eyes out but I'm still going to advise you stay still."

Mal nodded slowly and froze in place as Persephone quickly got to work as to not make Mal too tense.

"Wow, easy on the blush," Mal said at one point with a small chuckle. "I don't want to scare him away."

Uma and Harry's ability to get off the Isle depended on this after all-plus it wasn't like Mal _could_ scare Ben away. Love spell, remember?

"Trust me sweetheart. You won't scare him away," Persephone told her. "I didn't use that much blush anyway."

She gently put a tiny bit of lipstick on Mal's lips, dabbing it with the tip of her finger before applying it.

"You're probably the only person I'd get makeup tips from," Mal said with a small smile.

Persephone gave Mal a small smile of her own. "Trust me honey, you don't need much makeup. Just a small amount to accent your natural beauty."

"I don't _have_ natural beauty," Mal muttered.

Persephone couldn't help but give a sad smile at hearing that. "Yes you do honey. Why don't you go and look in the mirror, tell me if I'm wrong?"

Mal nodded slowly and got up off the bed. Grabbing her black leather jacket, Mal look a look in the full length mirror. She couldn't help but be shocked—the mirror had to be broken or something.

"Mom, I'm—I'm—not hideous," Mal said, finally getting the rest of the words out. Gods it was a good thing Uma and Harry couldn't see her though. They'd never let her live it down.

"Not even close," Persephone said with a small chuckle as she walked over and gently putting her hand on Mal's shoulders.

A knock on the door prevented Mal from responding and she looked over at Persephone.

"I think that's your date," Persephone whispered with a smile. Mal sighed and walked toward thee door to open it, a slight feeling of nerves building in the pit of her stomach and she had to remind herself to breathe. She opened the door and saw Ben.

Of course, Mal had to blink a couple of times to make sure she was actually looking at Ben and not an imposter—instead of his usual suits, he was wearing a pair of tan slacks and dress shoes. She couldn't tell what shirt he was wearing because it was covered by what looked like a letterman jacket.

"For the first time, I understand the difference between pretty and beautiful," Ben told her and a shy smiled came to Mal's face without permission.

Ben held out a helmet. "I hope you like bikes."

Mal couldn't help but smile again, taking the helmet and slowly stepping closer to him. Ben looked over Mal's shoulder and paused for a second as he saw that Persephone was in fact standing in Mal's room.

"L-Lady Persephone, it's a pleasure to see you again," he said, remembering his manners after stammering a bit out of nerves. "I hope your family's doing well?"

"Very well thank you," Persephone nodded with a smile on her face. "As you can see, my daughter is doing _quite_ well. I hope your family is as well Prince Ben."

"They are, thank you."

"Oh mom?" Mal said, turning to look at Persephone. "If you have to tell dad about this, ease him into it?"

"No dear I was going to just drop the news that his daughter was on her first date on him and watch the reaction," Persephone said dryly.

"Well as long as you have a plan," Mal chuckled and turned to look at Ben. "Shall we go?"

Ben nodded. "Lady Persephone, I hope you have a great rest of your day," he said not wanting to leave without saying goodbye. It was a bad idea to be rude to a Goddess. It was an incredibly bad idea to be rude to a Goddess who was also your date's mother.

Persephone nodded, walking to the door to close it as Mal and Ben walked off. There was no point in Persephone standing in her daughter's empty bedroom. That was just weird. She couldn't help but smile though as Mal and Ben walked off, each one holding a helmet in their hands.

She would do the 'if you hurt her, I'll smite you into microscopic particles' talk depending on how the date went. She _would_ get the details from Mal later.

Meanwhile, Mal was busy trying to not bite her lip. She didn't know why she was nervous—she had interacted with Ben before. Hell, most of the time Mal made him stammer or blush like the golden boy he was. But at the same time, there was something different about this time.

No matter what excuse she gave to herself—Ben was spelled, she was just doing this to keep Uma and Harry in the potential running for when they brought more kids off the Isle, she didn't want Audrey to somehow finagle her claws back into Ben—there was no denying the fact that this was a date.

Ben looked over at Mal as they made their way over to his bike. "You okay? You're awfully quiet," he said softly.

"I'm fine," Mal said, forcing a smile on her face.

"You sure?" Ben asked. The last thing he wanted to do was have her do anything she wasn't comfortable with, including the date.

Mal sighed. "I just..I don't know how to do this," she said quietly.

"You've never been on a date before?" Ben asked and Mal shook her head.

"We don't date much on the Isle. It's more like…gang activity," she told him, brushing a bit of hair behind her ear.

"Well then I'll just have to make this time extra special for you," Ben said with a smile. He kinda liked the idea of being Mal's first date.

Mal gave him a small smile. "You don't have to do that Ben. Really."

"I want to."

"Ben really, you don't need to…don't go through any trouble. You're already doing enough."

Ben gave her a small smile. "Mal, it's no trouble and definitely not any stress."

"Does this mean you'll tell me where we're going?"

Ben chuckled. "Nice try. I want to keep it a surprise but I think you'll really like it."

Mal couldn't help but smirk slightly at that. "You really want to surprise a VK? Not the best idea Ben."

"Mal, I promise. It's a good surprise," Ben said with a chuckle. Mal chuckled herself as the two of them made it to Ben's bike and Ben held it steady so that Mal could get on first. Mal couldn't help but smile slightly as Ben got on the bike.

"All set?" Ben asked as he put his helmet on.

"Yeah," Mal nodded.

Ben grinned and started up the bike. "Okay," he said and drove off.


	40. Chapter 40

As the two of them drove off to the location of the date known only to Ben, Mal couldn't help but wrap her arms around the Prince. If only to prevent herself from falling off the bike as she told herself. Ben though couldn't help but smile as he felt her arms around his torso.

"So, I don't mean to pry," Mal said as they rode along. "Actually, who am I kidding, I love to pry. But um, shouldn't you have a swarm of security following us right now?"

"Technically yes," Ben said with a small smirk.

" _Technically_?"

"I gave them the day off," Ben chuckled at her reaction.

"You did _what_?" Mal gasped. "Why?"

"Because I figured neither one of us wanted my security team following us around on our date. Do we?"

"Well, no not really," Mal told him. "But Ben, you're heir to the throne. I'm a VK. Wouldn't security just be natural?"

Ben shrugged. "Are you planning to do something?"

"No," Mal said. _I have too much riding on not being wicked for once. Besides I've already done something to you. Something that I need to reverse as soon as I get back to my dorm._

"Well then what are you worrying about?"

"I'm a VK. Worrying about potential outcomes is what we're good at," Mal told him causing Ben to chuckle.

"Well don't," Ben told her. "Besides, I give my security team the day off all the time. Drives 'em nuts."

Mal couldn't help but chuckle slightly at that. Ben was definitely not what she'd expected, even if this was just because of a love spell. The scenery wasn't bad either. Unconsciously, Mal raised her hands so that they were resting on Ben's chest and leaned a little closer into him. Ben smiled and sat up a little straighter.

They arrived at a parking lot surrounded by a wooded area and Ben turned off the bike. He was loathed to leave though; Mal's embrace sent shivers down his spine. But they had to get off the bike to go to the Enchanted Lake. Hopping off, Ben held out his hand for Mal to take.

"It's gonna be a bit of a walk. Hope that's okay," Ben said as they started making their way down the path.

"Oh no Ben, clearly I'm the type of person who wouldn't be okay with the idea of _walking_ ," Mal snarked with a chuckle causing Ben to chuckle as well. Making their way over a rope bridge, Ben couldn't help but smile as Mal held out her arms as if trying to touch both sides at the same time.

"Tell me something you've never told anyone," Ben said as he leaned forward, grabbing both sides of the bridge with his hands.

"Hmm…my middle name…is _Bertha_."

"Bertha?"

"Yep," Mal snorted. "Just Maleficent doing what she does best. Being really evil. Mom offered to change it but I kinda liked the contrast between it and my first name."

"Mine's Florian," Ben told her and Mal couldn't help but chuckle.

"How princely," she said. "It suits you."

"Ah well, it's better than Bertha," Ben teased as they continued to walk. Soon though, they made it to a part of the path that Ben wanted Mal to close her eyes as they walked down it. That way, she'd be surprised.

"Hey Mal? Could you…could you close your eyes?" Ben asked, his voice soft. Mal hesitated, closing one's eyes on the Isle could mean the difference between getting attacked or not. But she did what he asked. After all, Ben was trusting her by not having his security; she could do the same. She felt him take her hands as her eyes closed. Ben carefully led Mal through the woods, guiding her feet and taking care to make sure she didn't trip over anything.

"Okay, you ready?" Ben asked her as they got to their destination.

"Ready," Mal said softly, nodding her head.

"Open."

Mal opened her eyes to see a beautiful lake with ancient columns that wouldn't have looked out of place in Olympus if her mom's stories were true. It was probably the most beautiful place Mal had ever seen.

"Ben…" Mal whispered.

Ben smiled as he led her down to the stone patio where a blanket and picnic awaited them. _Thank you Chip,_ Ben thought as he quickly took off his jacket and put it on the back of one of the nearby chairs.

"Do you like it?" Ben asked Mal as she hadn't said a word since they had arrived at the lake.

Mal nodded. "It's beautiful Ben," she said softly. "I'm surprised it's not packed to be honest."

"I might be one of the few people who know it's here," Ben said with a sheepish looking smile.

"Really?" Mal asked, looking over at Ben. "How'd you find out about it?"

Ben gave her a small smile. "I went running a couple of years ago with Emir and Akiho, we were training for Tourney. These woods are actually a great little track."

"Really?"

Ben nodded as he sat down on the blanket, laying down on his side as he was propped up on one of his elbows. He never would have thought to do this with Audrey, she probably would have shot it down claiming she could have ruined her dress. "Yeah. So anytime I need to clear my head or just get away from the pressures of being 'Prince' Ben, I come here. It helps that Emir and Akiho think I live in my office so that's usually the first place they look when they want to find me."

"I can understand that," Mal said with a small nod. "…being known as Maleficent's daughter isn't the easiest thing on the Isle, especially when it's not true. She may have given me life but that's all she's given me."

Ben couldn't help but give her a sad smile. "Well…here we can just be Mal and Ben. Nothing else."

Mal couldn't help but give him a small smile, which Ben happily returned.

"You hungry?" Ben asked. "I…I wasn't sure what you'd like so we have a bit of everything."

"It looks amazing," Mal told him. "I'm surprised you got this all done in such short notice."

"Thanks," Ben said. "Have to be honest, all this was Mrs. Potts. Well her and her son Chip. Last time I tried to help in the kitchen, it did not end well."

Mal gave a small giggle at the thought. "I can cook to a degree but I only do it if I have to. The Isle has a few restaurants I prefer going to."

"Really?" Ben asked with a smile. "What's your favorite one? I can see if we have any similar restraints over here if you want to try them out, to compare."

Mal paused, inwardly debating about what title she would give her dad when talking about his restaurant. "…my dad's," she said softly.

"Lord Hades has a restaurant?" Ben asked.

"He does things like garlic chicken, fried fish, curly fries," Mal said with a small smile thinking about her dad's cooking. "I'd be there pretty much every night, plus helping him come up with new things in the kitchen at home. Plus there's Ursula's Fish and Chip Shoppe."

Ben looked thoughtful. "That actually sounds pretty good, the food from Lord Hades' restaurant. I wish I could try some…and that probably sounds pretty stupid."

"Why?"

Ben looked over at her. "Why what? Why do I want to try some of the food at Lord Hades' restaurant or why do I think saying out loud sounds stupid?"

"Both I guess."

Ben sighed. "The Isle's part of Auradon, whether people realize it or not. Besides, we don't have many restaurants that make food like what you just described. But it sounds dumb to say it out loud because I'd have to go to the Isle and I figure I'm not the most popular guy over there just based on who my dad is."

"You'd be correct," Mal said softly, thinking of the numerous defaced posters of King Beast that scattered the Isle. "But…speaking of the Isle…can I ask you something?"

"Ask away," Ben said with a small smile.

"What made you decide to bring kids over from the Isle?"

Ben sighed. "There's a view of the Isle from my parents' castle. For the longest time I'd look out at it and know there were kids on the Isle, kids who didn't ask for that life. They were innocent in all this."

"Would you ever consider bringing over more than just me, Jay, Carlos and Evie?" Mal asked, her heart racing as she realized that Uma, Hadie, and Harry's futures hung in the balance.

Ben smiled. "Of course! I won't be able to get approval until after coronation because of dad's council but after that, the plan is definitely to bring over more kids. Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

"I have some friends…some family…that I was hoping to have come over," Mal said softly.

Ben nodded. "Of course. I'll send the invitations right after coronation Mal."

Mal couldn't help but stare at him, slightly in shock. It was really that easy? That was all she had to say?

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Ben asked, noticing her staring at him.

"That was all I had to say? You don't want to know who they are? Or there's no deal involved for it?"

"Mal, you said they were your friends," Ben said. "I figure you wouldn't be inviting anyone you actively hated. I can get the information when I send out the invites. Why would there need to be a deal? I want to bring over more kids, you know of kids who could come over. It's as simple as that."

Mal stared at Ben, still slightly in shock, before shaking her head. "Ben, I…I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything. If you can think of anyone else though, that'd be good. I want to stick with four—that seemed to be a good number this go around."

Mal thought for a moment. If they needed to bring four, then they could invite over Gil as well. Harry wouldn't like it but all he'd have to do handle the limo ride. After all, while he wasn't in the gang proper, Gil was friendly with Carlos since they were under the gang's protection together. Carlos and Gil could room together, allowing Harry and Jay to be roommates.

"Well I can think of enough for four people to come over…but one of them is a bit younger than the rest," Mal said softly.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Ben told her. "Each person would get someone to act as their 'guardian' so to speak so age shouldn't be too big of a deal unless we're talking about a newborn."

"No, no! He's not that young—he's ten, about to turn eleven," Mal said quickly.

"Oh, okay," Ben said with a small nod of his head and a smile. "That shouldn't be an issue then. Like I said, each person gets a guardian so age wouldn't be something we'd need to worry about. It's certainly doable."

Mal couldn't help but return the smile. She was getting her friends and her brother off that Isle. It was more than she could hope for.

"By the way, have something to eat! Please! You don't need to wait because we're talking," Ben told her.

Mal nodded and grabbed one of the weird white spheres that were on a plate near Ben. Biting into it, she could see a bright red center.

"First time?" Ben asked with a gentle smile.

"Hmm?"

"Your first time eating a jelly donut?" Ben clarified, smiling as he saw the powder and filling around her mouth. It honestly was kinda adorable.

Mal paused before looking over at Ben. "Is it bad?"

"No, no, of course not," Ben said. "You've just got a little…" he told her while gently wiping at the powder around her lips with his finger. "I mean…yeah do this," he added, pressing his lips together so Mal could remove the remaining bit of powder.

"Can't take me anywhere I guess," Mal said softly, following the instructions. She wished someone would explain why she felt a shiver run down her spine as Ben's finger brushed her lips.

Ben gave her a smile as he laid back down. He didn't mean to but in the back of his mind he couldn't help but compare Mal to Audrey. Audrey would have never dared to touch a jelly donut out of fear it might ruin her outfit. Whereas Mal was eating them without a care in the world, not even thinking about her dress. It truly was amazing, the difference between them. All Ben knew was he wouldn't trade this moment for the world.

"So Ben," Mal said, trying to change the subject, "coronation's coming up soon. You excited?"

"In a way…"

Mal tilted her head. "There are ways to be excited about something?"

Ben couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I mean I'm glad I'll have the chance to do more for the kingdom but I don't know if my dad's making the right choice, stepping down right now…"

Mal frowned slightly; she honestly thought Beast never made a good decision but she wasn't going to say that to Ben. At least not on their date.

"You're worried aren't you?" Mal asked softly after a moment.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "I mean…a crown doesn't make you a king. I just want to be sure I'm doing what's right for the kingdom."

"Ben…you're going to be a good king," Mal said gently.

Ben gave her a small smile. "Thanks. It's just there's this…feeling that no matter what I'll do as king, there'll be people out there comparing me to my dad's reign. I'll only be the second king of Auradon after all—there's no one else to compare to."

"Well what do they matter?" Mal asked. "I mean, Ben, you can't please everyone. Honestly that's a lesson we learn pretty quick on the Isle. Besides, you'll be king. You're going to be the one making the final decision so you're going to have to go with your gut for some decisions."

"I…I just don't like people being upset," Ben said and then sighed. "Trust me, Chad and Audrey have graciously proven that sometimes there's no pleasing people."

Mal couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Ben, look at it this way. You're probably the only person I've ever heard say that you consider the Isle part of your kingdom. You're wanting to go on the Isle to try the food—which if you're serious about that and we can wrangle it safely, I'm willing to take you—"

Ben seemed to perk up at that. "Really? Absolutely Mal, I'm serious! Being a good king means caring about my subjects after all and for the life of me I can't remember ever seeing a report on the Isle. How can I rule Auradon if I don't know how some of its citizens are living? The food would just be a bonus."

Mal couldn't help but nod slowly. "Maybe we could slip you on when we pick up the next group but you'd have to borrow some of Jay's clothes. I doubt you have anything that would be considered 'Isle style'."

Ben nodded and then paused. "Won't Jay's stuff be a bit big on me? I mean he's like five inches taller than me at least."

Mal frowned slightly. "Do you have a pair of jeans?"

"I think so," Ben said. "If not, I know Chip'll have an old pair I could borrow."

"Or if all else fails I guess I could steal something off Carlos for you," Mal muttered. "Carlos' stuff might be too small on you but it's the only option other than borrowing something of mine. It won't matter too much if the top's too big. Most of the kids on the Isle are in clothes that are a bit big on them but you need to be able to walk."

"If it comes down to it, I've got an old pair of sweats from Tourney that might work," Ben told her.

"Good." Mal said as she took a bite of one of the strawberries, her eyes widening slightly as she actually tasted it. "Mmm!"

Ben grinned as he heard her utterance and made a note to have strawberries in stock in the kitchen. "Glad you like them," he told Mal as he looked out over the water. "Hey? You want to maybe go for a swim?"

"Now?" Mal asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, come on!" Ben said with a grin as he hopped up, already starting to unbutton his shirt.

"I…I think I'm just going to stay here and eat some strawberries," Mal told him. "They're good."

Ben chuckled. "Don't eat the whole bowl," he said as he made his way over to the other side of the lake. Mal finished the strawberry she'd stuffed in her mouth then stood up, smiling slightly at the sighed of Ben climbing onto a rock on the other side of the lake.

Ben looked out over the lake and gave Mal a wave as he saw her looking. He'd stripped down and so was only in his boxers but he didn't care. They were long enough that they passed as swim trunks.

"Are those little crowns on your shorts?" Mal called, trying to hide the slight giggle in her voice.

Ben looked down at his shorts and then looked back at Mal. "Maybe?!"

Shaking his head slightly, he gave a playful roar before jumping off the rock, cannon balling into the water. As his body hit the water, Ben couldn't help but inwardly sigh. He loved playing Tourney but there was nothing that was better than swimming.

Mal couldn't help but smile fondly as she watched him. It was strange but she was honestly having a good time with Ben…a good time she knew would end once she got that antidote in him. Honestly she'd be lucky if he didn't kick her back to the Isle.

_At least Uma, Harry and Hadie would have their chance,_ she thought. Ben wouldn't take back a promise…would he?

After a moment, though, Mal realized that Ben was nowhere in sight. "Ben?"

At not getting any response, Mal called again. "Ben? _Ben_?!"

Seeing no other choice, Mal jumped off the stone platform and began to wade into the water, not realizing how deep she was going. Before she knew it, she was near the middle of the lake with the water coming up over her head. Thinking back, it might have been a good idea to take her shoes off before jumping in.

_Well, at least I won't get sent back to the Isle for letting the crown prince drown when he was alone with me,_ Mal thought as she struggled to keep her head above water. _The only downside is Beast will probably end the VK program meaning Uma, Harry and Hadie won't be coming over after all. I'm sorry guys…I did try…._

To Mal's surprise though, the water seemed to be getting lower and she could breathe more easily. It was then that she discovered that Ben was carrying her out of the water. He gently set her down on the platform. After shaking his hair out, he looked over at her.

"You can't _swim_?!"

"You scared me!" Mal said, slapping his chest lightly.

Ben stared at her and looked over his shoulder as if he was being pranked. Looking back at her, he said, "I'm sorry, I just..I didn't mean…you can't swim?!"

"No!"

"You live on an Island!"

"Yeah, with a barrier around it, remember?!"

"And yet you still tried to save me," Ben said with a slight smile on his face.

"Yeah, but do you thank me?" Mal asked with a slight eye roll. "No, all I get is soaking wet!"

"And this fancy rock," Ben added, holding up a very shiny rock. "Make a wish and throw it back into the lake."

_Ben, this is not the time to hand me a rock. Gods you're lucky you're cute…wait what?!_ Mal thought as she stared at the rock for a minute before throwing it back into the water before getting up.

_I am such an idiot,_ Ben thought as he hopped back onto the platform and wrapped a towel around Mal's shoulders. "Thank you," he said softly, looking over at Mal. "I'll pay to get your dress cleaned. Least I can do."

"Don't worry about it. It's just water," Mal told him. _You're more important than some dress._

Ben stared at Mal in a slight daze, unused to someone reacting like that. Most of the girls in the school would have freaked out about their dresses, well maybe not Kitty or Lonnie.

"I'm sorry, by the way, for scaring you. I didn't realize I'd gone so far out," Ben said and Mal shrugged.

"I panicked," she said softly, looking away from him.

Ben frowned a little as Mal looked away from him. The date'd been going so well and he had to go and ruin it by swimming. _Maybe the arcade would have been the better choice._

"Mal…" Ben said softly, gently cupping her chin and turning her face back toward him. Mal stared at him, his hazel green eyes almost staring into her soul

_Gods what is this feeling?_ Mal thought after once again triple checking that no one could enter through the mind link. _It's like I want to hit him in the face with a textbook but the textbook is also my face. Ben's going to make me go insane!_

"What?" Mal asked him softly, trying to not enjoy the feeling of his hand on her chin too much.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked, his voice soft and his hand still cupping her chin. The very touch sent sparks up his spine.

"I'm fine."

"You sure? Mal you could have drowned. Your head went under the water. I…I want to make sure you're okay."

"Ben, it's not the first time I've nearly drowned. You got me out in time, that's all that matters," Mal said softly.

Ben stared at Mal in shock. What did she mean that it wasn't the first time she'd nearly drowned? What happened? Had she been hurt?

_If she wants to talk about it, she'll tell you,_ he thought. The two of them continued to eat and talk, Ben finally letting to of Mal's chin to eat some food himself.

"Did…did you have a good time?" Ben asked as they headed back to the bike.

"I did," Mal nodded. "More than I thought I would."

"I'm glad. Every girl should have a good first date," he said with a smile.

Mal couldn't help but smile at that. "Well, you succeeded. Though I'll confess, I never pictured I'd spend part of my first date planning on smuggling the crown prince onto the Isle."

"Well you're a VK after all. Isn't planning to sneak around what you do?" Ben teased.

Mal chuckled. "Hey, it's what we're good at! But um…to reiterate my point from earlier Ben, you will be a good king. You just need to trust your gut and stand your ground on things you really think should happen."

Ben sighed. "I know you're right, and I know I'll need to be able to do that, especially if I want to bring more kids from the Isle."

Mal nodded. "Hey, if you need someone to be 'bad cop' to your good, Jay is quite skilled at glaring people down," she jokingly offered.

Ben gave a soft laugh at that. "I may take you up on that."

"I'll let him know. He really liked being on the Tourney team by the way. Just don't let him know I told you."

"I'm glad—he's a good player too."

"He is," Mal nodded, "which is weird considering we don't have Tourney on the Isle. But he's always been athletic I guess. Have to be really, to make it around the Isle."

Ben nodded slowly. He took a moment before speaking. "You know, when you first arrived, I thought you and Jay were dating."

"You _what_?" Mal asked, stopping dead in her tracks.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "Well you seemed to try to avoid spending time with Evie and weren't really close with Carlos. Jay's the only other VK I saw you around so I just thought…"

"Ben, Jay's like my older brother," Mal told him. "We've been friends since I was five. Dating him? Just… _ugh_!"

"Okay, okay," Ben said with a chuckle at Mal's shudder. "I'm just telling you what I saw, plus I heard you and Jay talking one day and he had said you'd gone into his bed. I almost didn't ask you out because of it."

"Yeah well like I said, he's my family. He's the only one of my gang I've got with me—I missed spending time with him. Besides no one would let me switch rooms or do anything other than share with Evie."

"That was Fairy Godmother's idea," Ben told her. "She thought you'd be more comfortable rooming with the other female VK. I had wanted to pair you guys up with Auradon kids, sort of break up the tension between our two worlds."

Mal couldn't help but smile slightly at that. She really hoped he wouldn't hate her when she removed the love potion…and why did she care about that again?

Ben paused when they neared the bike. "Oh, by the way, I won't tell anyone about the love spell," he said with a small smile.

Mal froze and looked at him, eyes wide. "Wait, _what_?"

Ben couldn't help but give a small chuckle at her reaction. "Mal, I'm immune to love spells. Have been ever since I was born. Merryweather gave it to me as a christening gift."

"And you _still_ asked me out? More importantly, I'm still _here_ at all?!"

Ben sighed. "This may sound really bad but I was really happy you tried to spell me. It meant you at least wanted my attention."

"So if you weren't spelled the whole time, what was with that performance at the Tourney game?"

Ben sighed again. "Yeah, sorry about that. But I needed to get the point across to Audrey."

"You couldn't have just talked to her?" Mal asked. "You had to do a performance with the entire Tourney team?"

"Oh believe me Mal, I tried talking to Audrey," Ben said. "Unfortunately, as Emir and Akiho pointed out, Audrey only responds to the dramatic so I had to think of the most dramatic thing I could."

"I can see that," Mal sighed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry if it put you on the spot though," Ben said with a small smile.

"It's alright," Mal said, returning the smile. "So what, since you're not spelled, you've just been faking it the whole time?"

"Mal," Ben said stepping a little bit closer to her. "I haven't been faking anything," he said, gently cupping her cheek with his hand.

Mal's breath hitched before she could prevent a reaction from escaping. "Oh," she said softly and Ben gave her a soft smile.

"Mal, I know it was a rather crazy way to ask so I want to try it again," Ben said softly. "Will you be my date to coronation?"

"Well…since you asked so nicely," Mal teased before her tone turned genuine, "yes Ben."

He'd done so much for them, for _her_ ; the least she could do was make sure he didn't go to coronation alone.

"Great!" Ben said with a grin.

"Just don't burst into song again," Mal told him. "I mean, it was a great performance but…"

"Right, don't worry. No more big performances, promise."

Mal sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Ben smiled and helped her get back onto the bike, a smile Mal returned as Ben got on as well.

"You ready?"

"Yeah." Mal said as she wrapped her hands around him once more. Ben smiled and made his way back to the school.


	41. Chapter 41

Ben didn't know what he had expected when he opened up his wardrobe to get ready for class the day after his date with Mal but it certainly hadn't been this. Instead of his usual array of suits, there were numerous shirts and jeans that Ben _knew_ were not his.

He had never owned anything with a reindeer on it for instance.

"Note to self, get different friends," Ben sighed as he grabbed a short sleeved brown shirt with a reindeer on it and a pair of jeans. While his friends had left him with a suit blazer, it was the green and gold plaid one that even Chip had banned him from wearing claiming it was an eyesore.

_I honestly thought Audrey had thrown this out,_ he thought when he found it in the back of his wardrobe but then shook his head. He wouldn't subject anyone to that. Not today at least.

But if Emir or Akiho didn't give him back his clothes, Ben might not have the choice. Family Day was that weekend after all, and he couldn't be the only one _not_ wearing their formal attire. Not when there was a likelihood he'd be meeting Mal's mom officially for the first time.

"Hey Ben," Emir smirked as he walked up to Ben as the brunette stopped by his locker. "Nice shirt. It looks familiar."

"Considering we've seen Akiho wear it how many times?" Ben asked, rolling his eyes a little. "Why did you guys steal my suits?"

"Because that's all you wear," Emir said with a shrug. "Jay and Carlos helped. It was a nice Tourney bonding experience."

Ben shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you know us too well?"

"Sure, let's go with that," Ben chuckled as he grabbed his books from his locker. "You couldn't have at least left me one suit?"

"We did!"

"The eyesore doesn't count," Ben told him as the two of them made their way to chemistry. Throughout the day, Ben had to fight the urge to roll his eyes as he felt the eyes of all his classmates on him. He didn't wear suits all the time!

…did he?

Sadly though, he was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a very familiar nickname.

"Bennyboo, can we talk?" Audrey asked. "Also…what in the world are you wearing?"

Ben closed his locker and turned to face his ex-girlfriend. "Audrey, this is the fourth time you've wanted to talk since I removed my consent for our betrothal contract. What more is there left to say?"

"Bennyboo, did you really think this through before pulling out of the contract? You know there's not anyone else who can bring what I would to the marriage."

"While it is true you would bring a reasonable dowry, there's no point to it if we have no relationship," Ben told her. "Besides, I have a girlfriend Audrey."

"You honestly think Mal is a better match for you than me? Ben our families wouldn't have set up the contract if they didn't think we'd be a good match! Besides, a dowry isn't the only thing I could bring. My family is an amazing political alliance and you know it!"

Ben shook his head. "Audrey, can you even hear yourself? You're talking about us like we're prized horses being matched for breeding. Political influence and dowries aren't everything! What about the fact that we barely talked to each other? Or the fact that you haven't let me even hug you without you clinging to my arm since we were twelve? We barely know anything about each other Audrey! There is no emotional connection between us!"

Audrey rolled her eyes. "Oh you want to talk about us not talking? You hide in your office any chance you get! I had to twist your arm just to get a date out of you. You rescheduled on me twice the week of the Imperial Academy game!"

"That was because of practice and I still went on the date with you," Ben pointed out.

"I still had to pull it out of you like pulling a tooth! You say there's no emotional connection but did you try? Or did you just decide that when it got tough, you'd just quit? Thirteen years of a betrothal, a relationship down the drain!"

"Audrey, before I gave the directions to Mal and the other VKs, did you even know where my office was?"

"Why should that matter? So now I need to hunt down my boyfriend if I want to spend time with him?"

Ben sighed. "It matters because you could have tried to ask me or anyone and come knock on the door. I would have been happy for you to come in so we could spend some time together! We could have had a lunch date or just sat on the couch talking! You say I didn't try? Neither did you. I went on every shopping date you wanted Audrey, even when I was on day two of recovering from a concussion, and you didn't even know where I was for most of our relationship. Dating is fifty-fifty Audrey."

"Oh yes, holed up in that office together would have been a great date Ben. No wonder I had to plan all of them! When was the last time you surprised me with a date instead of them being something I had to plan just to spend time with you? Oh and you say a relationship is fifty-fifty? Who lifts the curse? Who slays the dragon? The _boyfriend_ Ben!"

"Audrey, it's not all about dates! It's about just being with your partner, talking to them and knowing what makes them tick. We _never_ did that—and we used to be the best of friends until something changed. Be it puberty, be it different interests I don't know. And _all_ the stories? Did Lonnie's mom wait for her boyfriend to do everything? Did Akiho's mom get saved by a guy? No, they didn't!"

"In all the stories that _matter_ Ben! You know what, clearly you're not in the mood to talk. When you're feeling more level headed, come and find me," Audrey snapped before storming off.

"Well, it's safe to say I'm glad I'm not Chad cause he's probably going to get an earful," Akiho said as he walked up. "Also, Audrey better keep her distance from me for a while. I'd hate for her to get to close to someone who's story didn't matter."

"Sorry about that," Ben sighed.

"It's not your fault Ben," Akiho shook his head. "The Banshee does what she does best. Hopefully she didn't give _The Gazelle_ a juicy new story about you though."

"It's a public hallway," Ben shrugged. "I was doing my best not to yell since Audrey doesn't deserve to have a front page story about us fighting but someone would have heard it anyway."

"Audrey does have her fair share of people who dislike her," Emir nodded as he walked up. "But she mentioned Mal's name. The fact that you have a new girlfriend is juicy enough for those vultures. The fact that she's from the Isle and is the daughter of two Gods? That might just make their heads explode."

"I know," Ben sighed but smiled as he saw Mal approaching. Mal, who seemed to stop upon seeing exactly what Ben was wearing. Mal, who's eyes seemed to go up and down his body as if examining every inch of the crown prince. Mal, who unless Ben was imagining things, seemed to flush and turn the other way.

"I think your girlfriend likes your new look," Akiho teased gently as they watched Mal scurry away.

"Why wouldn't she just say that though?" Ben asked.

"Oh you poor naive princeling," Emir sighed, resting a hand on Ben's shoulders. "You want my sister to explain the facts of life for girls to you?"

"No thank you. Chip already gave me the talk," Ben chuckled. Meanwhile, Mal had made it to her locker and was in the process of trying to figure out her reaction to seeing Ben in something other than a suit. She had seen him in it before—he had worn a dress shirt and slacks to their date. Not to mention his swimming attire, which showed the world his abs. Mal definitely wouldn't mind running her hands over those…

Whoa, bad thoughts! They didn't do relationships on the Isle, and Ben wasn't even love spelled so there was no point in continuing the charade…but Mal wasn't going to lie even to herself. There was something tempting about the idea of a relationship with Ben.

There was just something about him. There wasn't an act or an angle he was trying to pull, Ben genuinely was a nice guy. Who had already asked her on a date. Un-love spelled. At the very least there was no harm in enjoying it for a while, right?

Gods, she didn't know what to think!

_Mom?_ Mal thought as she leaned against her locker. _Can…can we talk?_

_Of course Mali. Is everything okay?_

_I'm just…I'm so confused._

_What's wrong sweetheart? Did something happen with Jay?_

_No, no, it's…it's Prince Ben._

_Oh? What happened? He hasn't done anything has he? He doesn't seem like the type but you know your father would gladly escape the Isle if he's hurt you. Of course he'd have to be content with whatever was leftover after I got through—_

_No, no! And that's the problem! He's good, he's too good! No one's as good as him mom, he doesn't seem to have any agenda, it seems genuine._

_He did always seem to have a good nature about him whenever I spoke to him._

_Mom, he wants to visit the Isle and try dad's food because he wants to know how his citizens are living. He asked me out on a date for Gods' sake!_

_Oh that reminds me, how was your date? Don't worry, I haven't told your father. Yet._

_It…it was…_

_Sweetheart, you can say if you enjoyed it,_ Persephone said gently

_Mom, I'm a VK and he's the crown prince. Even if I did enjoy it, it would have to be a one off thing. It can't work even if I did want it too._

_Mal, you don't know it won't work unless you try. But if you want proof, just look at your father and me._

_Um, okay? But you and dad are fine—_

_I meant the whole 'villain and Auradon person coupling not working' thing you seem worried about honey,_ Persephone told her, a small chuckle to her voice.

_Mom, you two are Gods. It's a bit different._

_Mal, sweetie, in every relationship, all that matters is being happy with the other person. If Prince Ben makes you happy, why not give it a shot?_

_Because he's the Golden Boy and I'm…I'm just poison from the Isle. I'm bad for him,_ Mal told her, her inner voice soft.

_Malinda, you listen to me okay? You are not poison. You care deeply about your brother, about your crew. Would someone who was poison need to be pretty much forced to get out of a horrible situation because it would mean leaving their friends behind? If you were as rotten as you claim you are, you'd have left without a backwards glance._

_But those are my friends, it's different mom! Besides, with Ben, it's like my body's sending me all these different messages. Clearly it wouldn't work if I can't decide what I'm supposed to be feeling!_

_What are you feeling?_

_I don't know mom! All I know is that I'll have clear thoughts and then I'll catch a glimpse of Ben's eyes or see him in a short sleeved shirt like I did just five minutes ago and all I can think about is how good it looks on him and I can't think straight after!_

_Mal, honey, that's called attraction._

_What?! No! No, mom that…that can't be it!_ Mal told her, horrified at the thought. If relationships weren't done on the Isle, attraction certainly wasn't done! Flings were done primarily to advance one's standing on the Isle or to get food for the few girls who weren't in a gang or crew.

_Well, what do you think it is if it's not that?_

_Mom, I can't be ruthless yet loyal if I'm staring after Ben like some prissy pink Auradon girl! We don't do attraction on the Isle._

_Mal, honey, if you think about it, that type of nature could actually be good for a relationship._

_How, mom? I mean loyal sure but ruthless?!_

_Ruthless could mean simply just defending your relationship and partner—and for someone like Prince Ben who's entrenched in politics and council members trying to push and pull him to support what they want, he'd probably be glad to have someone who could detect a threat._

_He's the crown prince though mom. I'm sure he's got people who can do that for him._

_Maybe so but as I said honey you won't really know if anything will work if you don't give it a chance. Was the date so horrible that he said he hated it?_

_No. He…he actually said he wanted to do it again._

_Then give it a shot sweetheart._

_What if I mess it up mom? Or what if I'm bad for Ben? He's…he's truly not like the people here in Boreadon. Not counting you obviously._

_Mal, despite whatever Maleficent has told you whenever you made an appearance in her castle, you are a smart, loyal, protective girl who any guy with any amount of sense would be glad to be around. What's more Prince Ben isn't stupid. He has a good head on his shoulders, if he didn't think being around you was a good idea, he wouldn't do it._

_He would if it meant he'd be rid of his ex._

_Mal, honey, do I need to come down there so we can talk in person? I'm more than happy to if you need me. Sweetheart, you're one of the most confident people I know. Any boy would be lucky to have a relationship with you. Even if you spelled them first._

_…how'd you find out about that?_

_I was talking to your father about Prince Ben's performance and he mentioned that Jay had stolen Maleficent's spell book for you. I can put two and two together after all._

_I…I didn't spell him to get into a relationship with him. He was being stubborn and wouldn't admit that he needed to get out of his betrothal contract. It wasn't good for him, he was exhausted because Sleeping Brat kept dragging him around every Sunday on his one day off from all his other prince duties. I…I didn't know he's immune to love spells though._

_I could have told you that honey. I was at Prince Ben's christening…which is why you're only grounded for a week. Following Prince Ben's coronation._

_…yes mom._

_But anyway honey, see what I meant about protective? If you were bad for Prince Ben, you'd have spelled him for a completely different reason or tried to use the spell to get into a relationship with him._

_You have to say that, you're my mother._

_Just because I'm your mother doesn't make what I said false in anyway. Mal, if Prince Ben didn't want to be with you, he wouldn't have asked you out on your date._

Mal sighed softly, she couldn't deny that her mom had a point. Still, no one in Auradon was going to let the future king date a VK. Especially one most of them 'knew' to be Maleficent's daughter.

_Mal?_

_Sorry mom, got lost in thought._

_Thinking about what I said?_

_Yeah. But mom, everyone here 'knows' me as Maleficent's daughter—thanks to Sleeping Brat insisting I'm lying. There'd be riots in the streets if Ben and I became a couple. Even if I wanted to…for Ben's sake, I can't. I"m too big a risk._

_Mal, shouldn't that be Prince Ben's decision to make? Besides, if anyone did try to argue against Ben dating you, I'd be there in a heartbeat if you needed me._

_Mom, you shouldn't have to be involved in this. It's just mindless drama—_

_Mal, you're my daughter. When it comes to you and your happiness, I'm happy to be involved. Mal honey, take the chance. If you don't, you'll only have the what-ifs._

_…okay._

_That's my girl. I love you Mal._

_I love you too mom._

_I've got to go. I'll see you on Family Day okay?_

_Okay. Tell dad and Hadie I said hi and that I miss them._

_I will honey. You take care of yourself okay?_

_I will. Thanks for letting me talk to you mom. It helped._

_You're welcome honey. That's what I'm here for._

Mal disconnected the mind link and sighed, before shaking her head and grabbing her books for her next class. Thankfully she just had one more to go before she could go talk to Ben.

She definitely didn't mind—especially if it meant she'd be seeing him in that shirt again.

_Gods imagine him in one of Jay's beanies…_

Mal shook her head again as she got to her class. She _really_ was going to have to focus on not thinking about that. The last thing she needed was for that thought to make it to the mind link.

Uma and Hadie would tease her until the cows came home.


	42. Chapter 42

Mal made her way over to Ben's office, hoping beyond hope that he hadn't gotten changed back into his suits. Inwardly cursing her newfound attraction to Ben, Mal couldn't help but smile slightly as she saw that Ben was in fact in his office.

Of course, she wasn't sure where else she'd expect him to be what with the Tourney season over but that was neither here nor there.

"Hey Mal," Ben said as he looked up at her with a small smile.

"Hey," Mal said as she walked in and closed the door. _Don't stare, dear gods don't stare,_ she thought. It didn't help that Ben's pectoral muscles were much more defined in that short sleeved shirt than they ever were in the suits.

"You okay?" Ben asked gently.

"What are you working on?" Mal asked, leaning against the desk to see.

Ben smiled. "I'm trying to figure out the best way to sneak onto the Isle," he joked before shaking his head. "Nah, it's just more coronation paperwork. The fun never stops."

"You know, the best way to sneak onto the Isle would be for Jay and I to take you," Mal said matter of fact as she looked at the paperwork, not noticing Ben stop and stare at her.

"Really?"

"Well yeah I mean it's still risky but as long as you stayed away from Angel or Caster territory, you shouldn't have a problem," Mal told him, still looking at the paperwork. "Oh and of course stay out of Maleficent's territory but that's half the Isle so you shouldn't have an issue there."

If she kept her eyes on the paperwork then she wouldn't be staring openly at Ben. After all, Tourney had definitely been kind in terms of Ben's muscle definition. He wasn't bulky like Jay or Harry but at the same time, that honestly wasn't a problem. He looked good.

_Honestly I think I prefer this to the 'bulky' definition of Jerkules or Jay or Harry,_ Mal thought. _Just enough muscle definition to know it's there._

_Okay I really don't need to think about my cousin going gooey over a guy!_

_Uma! Honestly, do you lurk on the mental link?!_

_Well yeah, there's nothing good on TV. Now, who's got the muscle definition that seemed to finally catch my cousin's eye?_

_…Ben_

_I'm sorry, Beastie Jr?!_

_Shut up!_

"Mal? You okay?" Ben asked softly, bringing Mal back to the present.

"I'm fine, just studying," Mal told him, making sure the connection to the mental link was disconnected. The last thing she needed was for Uma to randomly appear again…or worse her mother.

"Studying? My paperwork?"

"It seems fascinating," Mal shrugged, finally looking away from the document that seemed to be all about the security measures at coronation. "Hey, why do you guys need security measures anyway? Aren't you all good?"

"It's being insisted on," Ben sighed.

"Because of Jay, me, Evie and Carlos?"

"No—"

"Ben, you're many things but you're not a good liar," Mal said gently as she hopped onto his desk, sitting beside him.

Ben sighed. "Some members of dad's council believe security measures would be a good idea. Dad argued that they'd have to pay for them."

"Really?" Mal asked, slightly impressed by King Beastie.

"Yeah," Ben nodded, "especially since these measures are such last minute. I was almost done with my paperwork before these were added."

Mal looked at the mountain of paperwork still on Ben's desk and turned back to Ben, raising an eyebrow. "You and I have a different definition of the word 'done'."

"Done for the day," Ben chuckled. "I wasn't going to spend my entire day in here."

"Didn't you used to?"

"I figured you'd be dragging me out of here anyway," Ben teased. "You have no qualms about barging into my office after all."

Mal smirked. "You'll find, Benny, that I have no qualms about a lot of things. But…are you serious? About wanting to sneak onto the Isle?"

"Well yeah," Ben nodded as he leaned back in his chair. "Mal, I meant what I said on our date. The Isle is a part of Auradon and I should get a sense of how my citizens are living on the Isle before I take the throne. That way I can jump into solving any problems on my first day."

Mal stared at him for a moment, still stunned at how eager he was to see the Isle.

"Plus…and this'll sound corny but I'd like to see where you're from," Ben said softly. "It'll be a good way to see what makes Mal well… _Mal_."

"You're right. It does sound corny," Mal nodded. "But corny suits you. Well, come on then."

"Wait, where are we going?"

"If we're sneaking you onto the Isle, you'll need Isle clothes," Mal said. "Akiho's shirt is a nice departure from the suits but it still makes you look too put together. We need something that'll make you blend in, make you look like a ruffian. We'll need Jay."

Ben nodded. "How'd you know this shirt was Akiho's?"

"The giant reindeer on the front was a nice clue."

"Ah," Ben nodded as they made their way to Jay's dorm. "Hey, I wanted to let you know, I got into a small argument with Audrey earlier today. She brought your name up."

"So you talked about me with your ex? Big whoop," Mal shrugged and Ben sighed.

"I wanted to let you know because there's a newspaper around here that likes to report on royals," he told her. "Since Audrey brought your name up, they might consider that something to write about. Future king gets a new girlfriend or something like that."

"Who besides our classmates would consider that news?" Mal asked and then paused. "Does this newspaper go to the Isle?"

"Did you ever get a copy when you lived on the Isle?"

"Well no…"

"Well there you go," Ben said with a small chuckle and Mal shook her head in amusement.

_Good. Maleficent won't find out that I'm dating Ben,_ she thought. _If she doesn't know, sneaking him onto the Isle will be still incredibly risky but it won't be the suicide mission it would be otherwise._

"Thanks for the warning I guess," Mal shrugged. "I doubt they'll do much. After all, mom's here right now. You lot really don't like to risk angering the Gods and I'll be seeing mom this weekend."

"This weekend?"

"Family Day?"

Ben nodded. "Oh right. I completely forgot it was this weekend. Hard to believe coronation's the day after."

"Time has a way of creeping up on us," Mal nodded as she barged into Jay and Carlos' room. "Boys! You decent?"

"We're VKs Mal," Jay called from his bed. "Are we ever decent?"

"Are you at least dressed? I got company."

"Go make out with Ben in your own room!"

"Ben wants to visit the Isle," Mal said after whacking Jay with a pillow. "We're helping him sneak in and out."

Jay sat up. "He wants to _what_?"

"Did I stutter?"

"No cap'n," Jay shook his head and got up. "Carlos, you don't breathe a word to anyone about this."

"Oh no, you've foiled my dastardly plan," Carlos said, rolling his eyes from his spot in front of the video game console. "Because I definitely wanted my mother to find out Ben was going to the Isle."

"Sarcasm is not a good look on you," Mal chuckled. "Jay, you got any clean clothes his highness here can borrow?"

"I should have something," Jay nodded, going over to his dresser. Mal walked over and started to pretend to help.

"I'm going to sneak down to the kitchen," she muttered. "If we're going to the Isle, I'm going to get some Auradon food for Uma, Harry, Hadie and maybe something for dad to use in his restaurant."

"There's no way you'll be able to carry all that by yourself."

"I've got magic," Mal smirked. "I'll be fine."

Straightening up, Mal turned to Ben. "Speaking of roommates, I should let mine know I'm doing something with you so she doesn't worry her little blue head. I'll be right back. Listen to Jay—unless he tells you something that goes against what I'll tell you later."

"Okay Mal," Ben nodded and Mal smirked before walking out of the room. She decided to make her room the first stop so Evie wouldn't ask questions about the food bags.

"Hey Blue—Evie?" Mal asked, sticking her head in. "I'm going to spend time with Ben. Don't wait up."

"Oh," Evie said with a nod. Mal tilted her head as it was clear that Evie was hard at work on something.

"Please tell me you're not doing Charming Jr.'s homework again?" Mal asked despite working hard not to care.

Evie shook her head. "No, no. Some of the girls asked me to design their gowns for coronation. I already did their fashion makeovers so they trusted me enough to ask for this as well. I'll be up late making them but once I get them done I'll be able to meet with them for a final fitting. It's just three girls so it should be fine."

"Ah," Mal nodded and paused. She wasn't the closest with Evie but she was closer than she had been on the Isle. Plus she knew she'd need a dress for coronation—and the royal tailor Ben offered for her to use would be more likely to lean toward Auradon fashion.

"Evie? I can't believe I'm even asking this," Mal sighed, "but can you make my dress?"

Evie paused. "You..you want _me_ to make your dress for coronation?"

"I know, shocking," Mal said. "But I've put it off for too long, and I'll need one unfortunately since I'm riding with Ben."

"Of course!" Evie nodded. "Oh I'll get right to work on it! But—oh you've got your thing with Ben. I'll get your measurements when you get back. I'll work on the design—purple right?"

"Is there anything about me that indicated the answer to that question would be no?"

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to wear Ben's colors, considering it's his coronation and all," Evie explained, a megawatt grin still on her face. "But go on Mal. You don't want to keep Ben waiting."

Mal nodded slowly and ducked back out, making her way toward the kitchen. It was weird but she felt a small bit of warmth fill her at seeing how happy Evie was at the idea of making Mal's dress. At the same time though, Mal felt a bit of dread.

What was to stop Evie from making a stunning gown but something that didn't suit Mal at all? What if she made something that looked like a prissy princess and made it so she could never show her face on the Isle again?

One thing was for sure: Evie wouldn't make a _bad_ dress. Even if she wanted to use the opportunity to get back at all the hell Mal and Uma put her through on the Isle, Mal assumed Evie wouldn't want her name attached to something that was less than perfect. The same way Mal wouldn't want her rep attached to a less than perfect tag or Harry wouldn't want his name attached to less than perfect sword work.

If there was one thing Mal could confirm, there wasn't a risk of her having a wardrobe malfunction during coronation.

Slipping into the kitchens, Mal grabbed a nearby basket and started filling it with things she knew Uma, Harry and the Warf Rats might like before moving on to things her brother and father might like as well.

"Huh," Mal said after about fifteen minutes. "This basket's not going to work."

"You sneaking food?"

Mal nearly jumped out of her skin as one of the kitchen aids broke the silence.

"For a study group," he added, looking at the basket as Mal stared at him in silence. "Students normally do that so we look the other way. It's why we have the baskets there."

"Oh yeah," Mal nodded, going along with the lie. "But the basket filled up faster than I thought."

The aid chuckled. "Here. This might work better if you used two bags," he said, tossing Mal a duffle bag. Why he had one on him, Mal would never know. "I know you're one of the new students but like I said, all the kids here sneak food from time to time."

"All those perfect princes and prissy princesses?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep," the aid nodded. "Name's Steven by the way if you ever need anything else. I just came in to make sure all the food's set for Family Day and then I'll be out of your hair."

Mal chuckled. "You're fine Steven. I won't be a minute."

She quickly got to work loading the stuff for Uma, Harry and the Rats into the duffle bag. She would have loved to bring food for all the kids but it would have to do for now. Hopefully there'd be more trips to the Isle to bring food…and to take kids _off_ the Isle.

Satisfied at how the duffle was packed, Mal grabbed both the basket and the duffle and made her way back to Jay's room.

"Everyone better be decent!"

"Mal, you say that every time you walk in here. Pick a new saying," Jay said as Mal walked in.

"Where's the fun in that?" Mal asked with a smirk. "Where's Ben?"

"Bathroom," Carlos told her.

Mal didn't have long to wait before Ben stepped out of the bathroom. Between the brown shirt that seemed to make his hazel green eyes pop more and the jeans that he thankfully already had on, Mal was honestly impressed that she wasn't drooling.

"Well?" Ben asked and Mal had to give her self a small kick to talk.

"Beanie."

"Huh?" Jay asked and Mal rolled her eyes.

"Give Ben one of your beanies. Then it'll be good," she elaborated and Jay nodded, tossing Ben one of the aforementioned hats. Ben quickly put it on and Mal once again cursed the day she noticed boys. How did anyone get anything done like this?

"Pull that beanie down a bit."

"Mal, we're not going to the Isle today," Jay chuckled before pausing, tilting his head in thought. "Are we?"

Mal sighed. "Family Day's this weekend and Saturday's tomorrow Jay. When else _can_ we go? Especially with coronation right after Family Day?"

Jay nodded. "Thankfully I'm already dressed. Let's go."

"Carlos, if anyone asks—"

"I have no idea where you three are," Carlos stated.

Mal smirked. "Good boy."

"Woof."

"There was a time where you would have jumped in fear if anyone did that around you."

"There was a time when I didn't know you were the daughter of the Lord of the Underworld, Mal," Carlos told her. "Times change."

Mal and Jay chuckled as the three of them walked off to the garage for Ben to snag the remote to open the barrier.

"Can you guys ride bikes?" Ben asked.

"No," Jay and Mal shook their heads.

Ben nodded. "Okay, looks like it's a limo. We can take bikes next time."

Mal smiled as they all piled into the limo. It was time to see her home…at least for a bit.

Though she wasn't going to lie, Auradon was slowly growing on her. Like a fungus. Maybe it was the food. Maybe it was the people.

Looking over at Ben as he drove, Mal could say for certainty…the people had no small part in her new fondness for Auradon. But the Isle would always be her home.


	43. Chapter 43

Mal sighed as they stopped the limo and smiled slightly as she stepped out of the car. She was finally back on the Isle. She should feel a sense of joy at being home after so long.

So why did all she feel was a sense of dread? A sense that she was making a huge mistake being here with Ben?

"Jay, get the limo covered," she said quickly, shoving down her doubt. She was acting captain with Uma not being in the group, there was no time for her to have doubt. The limo would be fairly obvious that they were from Auradon if anyone but her or Jay came across it.

"Mal?" Ben asked as Jay quickly scrambled to grab a nearby tarp to use to cover up the limo. "What can I do?"

"Stay right there," Mal said simply. "You're not leaving our sight."

Ben nodded slightly, titling his head a little in confusion and Mal had to will herself not to melt at his puppy dog eyes. "But…why won't you say my name?"

"Because saying your name is probably the stupidest things we could do right now," Jay muttered as he walked past them, pulling the tarp that he had found over the limo. "Think about it dude, your dad's not exactly popular on the Isle."

"Jay's right," Mal nodded, thankful that she brought her first mate. At least he would be sure to keep his head. "Gods we should have thought about this before we left Auradon."

"Mitchell."

"I'm sorry?" Mal asked, looking over at Ben.

"If you need a fake name, call me 'Mitchell'," Ben elaborated. "Mom and dad had considered naming me that before settling on my name. You could pretend I'm a VK who was born outside the Isle."

"If we stay out of Maleficent's territory, that could work," Mal nodded. "But _Mitchell_ , you're going to have to do everything we say while we're here. Understand?"

"Yeah absolutely thank yo—"

"Dah! That's the first thing that's got to go," Mal said, slipping back into her Isle persona. "There are no thank you's on the Isle. There are no 'please's'. There is no 'touchy feely' stuff where we go on about our emotions or ruffle people's hair unless you're in someone's crew. And there are _no_ apologies. You want something, you take it. If they won't let you take it, you break it because if you can't have it, no one can."

"But nine times out of ten, they let Mal take it," Jay said with a smirk. "Meaning they let anyone in Mal's crew take it too."

"Being known as the Dragon's spawn tends to work in my favor around here," Mal said, returning the smirk.

"You said something about Maleficent's territory," Ben said, cutting into the conversation. "How would I know where that is?"

"The giant spray painted silhouette of Maleficent in green with the words 'long live evil' over it might help," Mal said dryly. "Or the spray painted dragon with the words 'the dragon will rise again'. Or the red Genie with 'long live evil' spray painted over it. Basically anything that has 'long live evil' over it. Besides, you won't be going anywhere without me or without Jay and we're not going anywhere _near_ Maleficent's territory."

"Oh yeah, that's another thing," Jay nodded. "We're avoiding my dad's shop."

"We avoided your dad's shop whenever we could when we lived here," Mal chuckled. "Besides we don't have anything to pawn."

"Good point," Jay nodded. "But come on, we're burning cloud. They're going to realize we're gone over in Boreadon at some point."

"I'll get the loot," Mal said, both of them easily slipping back into their Isle personas as Ben stared in slight shock and amazement. "We'll take Mitchie boy here to Lord Hades' restaurant since he wanted to see it. I'll meet you two there—I want to stop by Ursula's Chip Shoppe."

Jay nodded and the three of them made their way to their respective restaurants. Mal couldn't help but smile slightly as she walked through the swinging doors of the Chip Shoppe once more. Sure it still smelled of fish and seaweed but she loved the smell. This had been her second favorite place growing up after all.

"Mali?" Harry asked, in shock as the son of Hook walked up to her. "Wha—?"

"I decided to come for a visit, Harry," Mal chuckled. "What are _you_ doing here? Don't you have a shift over at Lord Hades' restaurant?"

"Stopped by to see Uma before going to my shift," Harry said, wrapping an arm over Mal's shoulders. "C'mon co-cap'n, let's go see our cap'n."

Mal grinned. "Good, cause I've got some loot for the two of you and our allies at the Warf Rats," she said as they made their way into the kitchen.

"Harry, what are you doing here? Uncle Hades isn't going to be happy if you're late—"

"Hey cuz," Mal said with a smirk at seeing Uma's shocked face as the granddaughter of Poseidon seemed to freeze upon seeing her. "I'm back!"

"You'd better be joking," Uma said, pulling Mal into a hug. Mal couldn't help but appreciate the irony considering what she had just told Ben but she didn't care. She had her best friend in front of her again! "Gods, I've missed you!"

"Of course I'm joking," Mal chuckled but returned the hug. "I've got something for you guys," she said as she broke from the hug. "Boreadon's got so much _good_ food they didn't notice Jay and me swipe some."

"Jay's here too?"

"You really think he'd let me come back to the Isle alone?" Mal chuckled. "He's over at dad's restaurant, Harry you'll see him since you're heading over there anyway."

"Never mind that, you said something about good food?" Uma asked, looking at the bag in Mal's hand.

"For you Uma," Mal said and Uma quickly opened it up and stared in shock. "I tried to grab as much stuff that didn't need to be refrigerated so you can keep it in the clubhouse or on the ship without worrying about your mom using it."

"Mal, that…that can't possibly be food," Harry stated, looking over Uma's shoulder. "There's no brown bits or green fuzzy pieces to eat around."

"Please Harry, we all know you ate the green pieces," Uma scoffed.

"I ate the _maggots_ Uma. Protein."

Uma rolled her eyes but sighed, looking over at Mal. "He's right though. Not about the maggots but about the food."

"Uma, I promise you. This is what food looks like in Auradon," Mal said gently. "Also…I've got news."

"Ooh?!"

"I got Ben to promise that you two and Hadie would be in the next group to be invited off the Isle after his coronation," Mal said after looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was in danger of walking in on them.

"Mal…are you serious?" Uma asked in shock.

"As a heart attack," Mal nodded. "I got him to promise me and Ben hardly ever breaks a promise according to Emir and Akiho."

"And they are…?"

"Ben's best friends and Jay and Carlos' fellow Tourney team mates," Mal explained. "Sons of Aladdin and Anna."

"Hans won't be happy to hear Anna had a kid," Uma smirked in amusement.

"I'm surprised Jay's okay with the son of Aladdin," Harry muttered to himself, crossing his arms slightly.

Mal chuckled. "Emir's alright," she said. "Honestly, he and Akiho are like the Auradon version of you and Jay, Harry, with all the mischief they get into."

"Oh Gods, and Boreadon's still standing?" Uma chuckled.

"Just barely but I guarantee it'll fall once Harry joins the madness," Mal told her, chuckling herself.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll meet you out front co-cap'n," he said, and Mal noticed a slight limp when he walked out of the kitchen.

"How's he been?" Mal asked softly with a small sigh once the door closed.

"He's…it's complicated Mali," Uma said, sighing herself. "Working with Uncle Hades has really helped him but every so often he'll spend the night at Hook's house. Harriet's demented attempt at family bonding no doubt and she's a captain too so he can't say no to her."

"And staying at Hook's house means staying with _Hook_ ," Mal sighed.

"Hook's been okay. As long as he doesn't get any rum."

"There's not usually rum in the delivery barges," Mal stated. "Jay or Henry would have grabbed it if Barbosa's daughter didn't beat them to the punch if a bottle wound up our way."

"Well one did this time," Uma stated. "About two weeks ago and it was a fairly full bottle—maybe three quarters full. I'm guessing someone from Boreadon realized they had a problem and tried to quit cold turkey. Well let's just say Harry tried a few swigs and the crew got to see what a drunk Harry looks like…and so did Hook."

"No!"

"Yep."

"And Harry's still _alive_?"

"Hook forgot that Gaston was over with Gil," Uma stated. "Poor Gil tried to pull Hook off of Harry but only earned a hook to his shirt for his trouble. Though Gaston wasn't going to stand for that—Gil might not be his favorite son but he's still a _son_."

"How'd you know about this?"

"CJ told me," Uma said, gathering up the food so Mal could take the bag back. "For a price."

"Let me guess, you took her watch shift?"

"It's the only thing I could offer that would get her to spill. She's in Harriet's crew after all. I may be a captain but I'm not _her_ captain."

"But didn't they join our crew with the Warf Rats?"

"The Isle's only so big and Harriet's crew is her, Sammy, Jade and CJ," Uma stated. "It made sense for us to join forces."

Mal sighed and took the now empty bag, folding it up and sticking it under her arm. "I wonder what Harry hated more—the fact that Hook was Hook again or the fact that Gil technically saved his life."

"Gil saving his life for sure," Uma nodded. "I know because I was treated to a three hour rant once Harry recovered from his hangover."

"But if he was unconscious which I'm assuming he was, how would he know?"

"Harriet told him."

" _That_ must have been a fun conversation," Mal sighed. "Well Uma, I should head over to dad's restaurant. If Harry's still limping it'll take us longer and that'll just make Jay worry."

"I've got the Warf Rats patrolling the roofline," Uma told her. "We didn't know you were coming of course but with Harry injured, the last thing we need is for Zevon or Freddy to try to launch a surprise attack."

Mal nodded. "You got a spare sword I could borrow? I'm not letting myself go without a weapon."

"Grab one from the sword check," Uma told her. "No one'll miss it and if they do, leave it at the clubhouse and I'll have one of the Rats drop it back off."

"Will do."

"Take care Mali," Uma said softly.

"Hey, I'll see you soon," Mal told her. "Ben gets coronated after Family Day which is coming up. Actually it's tomorrow."

Uma nodded and Mal walked out of the kitchen, catching up to Harry who was waiting by the sword check.

"You ready?" Harry asked.

Mal nodded, grabbing one of the swords and stuck it in her belt. "Now I am. Uma said that Zevon and Freddy were on the prowl."

"I wouldn't let anything happen to you, co-cap'n," Harry said as they started making their way toward Hades' restaurant.

"I know," Mal said before pulling Harry into an alley.

"Wha—"

" _This_ is for getting yourself drunk," Mal said, whacking Harry over the head before quickly wrapping him up into a hug, "and this is for not being there for you."

Harry sighed. "It's fine Mal. Honestly I've given up on the Captain. He likes the girls—Harriet and the runt I mean."

Mal sighed. "Harry….and maybe I'm completely off the mark here, but you don't think that your dad treats you the way he does because he's trying to get you to _not_ be like him?"

Harry shook his head and gave a small chuckle. "I think your brain's been melted by the Boreadon sun Mali. The Captain, treating me like a punching bag for twelve years because he _doesn't_ want me to end up like him?"

"It was just a thought," Mal said softly as they continued on to the restaurant. She couldn't help but think about a conversation she had overheard between her parents the day after they brought Harry to the Underworld when he was nine.

_"Steph, I don't know what's gotten into Hook," Hades said, taking a sip of his tea. "You know the day I brought Mal home with me, I ran into him and Gaston? He was toasting because Milah had blessed him with a son. I know I'm not the most familiar with what a normal father does considering mine ate me when I was born, but potentially breaking a nine year old's ribs does not say 'blessing' to me."_

_"Mortals grieve in different ways Hades," Persephone sighed. "I'm not defending Hook at all but you know he never was the same after Milah died."_

_"There's grieving and then there's whatever this is," Hades told her, shaking his head. "If we still had the inspectors coming, I'd be tempted to slip an anonymous note so someone would get Harry away from Hook."_

_"You'd separate a chid from his only living parent?"_

_"If staying there meant the child might wind up a permanent resident of the Underworld? In a heartbeat. Hook's got his beef with Pan and we all know he's not the biggest fan of children but there's a difference between firing a canon at the Lost Boys and hitting your own son."_

_"Well he'll be staying here until his ribs recover," Persephone said, trying to look on the positive._

_"I personally think he should stay here afterwards too. But Harry would probably argue against it. As long as he's not staying with Hook, I'll be fine."_

Mal sighed and shook her head slightly. Her dad may have been wicked but he was more of an anti-hero compared to the others on the Isle. If a kid was loyal to Mal, Hades was loyal to the kid—even if they didn't know it.

Harry opened the door to the restaurant and held it for Mal. "Co-cap'n."

"First mate," Mal chuckled as she walked through. She couldn't help but sigh in relief as she saw Ben and Jay seated at their usual spot.

"Mal, who's that with Jay?" Harry muttered. "He looks…familiar."

"Not here," Mal hissed and dragged Harry into the pantry for the kitchen once they got into the back.

"Whoa! Mal, all I did was ask a question."

"Harry, I need you to swear that what I'm going to tell you, you won't tell _anyone_. Even Uma."

"Yeah you know I'm telling Uma. But Uma can keep a secret Mali."

Mal sighed. _Stupid twiterpated boys,_ she thought. Uma could bat her eyes and get Harry to do or tell her _anything_.

"…the boy with Jay is from Auradon," Mal said finally, figuring telling Harry that much wouldn't put Ben at risk.

"You brought a Boreadon kid _here_?"

"He wanted to see the Isle," Mal said with a shrug and Harry stared at her in shock. "Why does everyone look at me like that when I tell them that? First Jay and now you?"

"Why on Poseidon's blue sea would he want to see the Isle?" Harry asked.

"You'd have to ask him that," Mal said.

"Ask who what? And why are you standing in the pantry, Harry, with my… _Mal_?"

Mal chuckled as her father stared at them in shock. "Hey dad," she said and held up the basket of food. "I brought something for you from Auradon."

"You didn't steal this food, did you Mal?"

"Don't you know it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission, dad?" Mal smirked. "Besides, they've got so much good stuff around there they won't notice some fresh stuff missing."

"Uh huh. And is that why Prince Beastie Jr. is in my restaurant?"

Mal stared in shock, thankful for the now empty kitchen. Her dad must have ordered everyone to go on break or something. "How…?"

"Hadie came back here asking why Jay was in the restaurant and why the boy he was with ruffled his hair."

_Ben, we said no touchy feely stuff! You're lucky it was Hadie and not someone like Zevon or Freddy boy!_

"Wait, that's not the Ben who asked you to be his date to coronation, is he?" Harry asked.

"Uma told you, I take it?"

"The captain doesn't keep secrets from her crew."

"I'm sorry he _what_?" Hades asked.

Mal smiled sheepishly. "I take it mom didn't tell you?"

"No, your mother certainly did _not_!"

"Dad, it's a long story. The only reason Ben's here anyway is because I told him about your food on our date and he—"

"Your _what_?!" Harry and Hades exclaimed.

Mal kicked herself for letting that slip out. "Dad, mom knows all about it. Besides Ben wanted to see the Isle and it's the only time before his coronation we could sneak away."

"He's not your boyfriend now is he?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes as he walked out of the pantry.

"He's the reason you're getting your ass off the Isle, Harry," Mal told him, following him out of the pantry. "Besides, the Isle doesn't do stuff like 'boyfriend girlfriend'."

"But I take it Boreadon does?"

Mal shrugged. "He had one when we got there. Sleeping Brat was horrid, the only reason Ben was still with her was because of a betrothal contract he was in. But _that_ is a thing of the past now…and mom's already told me I'm grounded for a week dad."

"I'm adding a week because of this stunt," Hades told her. "But go on and join your friends. Jay ordered you your garlic crispy chicken."

Mal nodded and ran out to the front to join Ben and Jay.

"I saw you with Harry," Jay grinned as Mal sat down. "How's our favorite pirate?"

"Your favorite pirate. My favorite's Uma."

"Ah right. So, how's _my_ favorite pirate?"

"Apparently, he recently discovered the joys of rum and the joys of a hangover." Mal rolled her eyes. "The sooner Harry's off the Isle and away from Hook, the happier I'll be."

"I'll send the invitations as soon as I can Mal," Ben promised as Jay stared at Mal in shock, clearly not expecting that answer.

Mal nodded. "I know you will," she said softly. "But let's talk about something else."

Thankfully, the food arrived before either one of the boys could say anything and Mal quickly dug into her garlic crispy chicken. Even as she'd grown used to the decedent food Auradon had to offer, there was _nothing_ better than her dad's cooking.

"How you like your food Mitchell?" Mal asked after a bit, noticing that Ben seemed to be eating his food rather slowly.

"It's…interesting," Ben said, searching for a neutral enough word as to not potentially offend Hades if he was listening in.

Mal and Jay exchanged an amused glance. "Mitchell, it's okay," Mal told him gently. "Most of the food's rotten anyway. You won't offend Lord Hades by saying it's off putting."

" _Rotten_?" Ben asked shocked and Mal shrugged.

"Missing something Mitchell?" Jay asked quickly, changing the subject by waiving Ben's wallet in front of him.

"How'd you get that?! _When_ did you get that?!"

"You're seriously asking Jay that question?" Mal chuckled.

Ben shook his head. "Unless you're offering to pay for lunch, I'd like my wallet back Jay."

"Nah, no one in Mal's crew pays here," Jay chuckled.

"Then why'd you steal my wallet?"

"It's an important lesson to know on the Isle. Never lose track of your valuables," Jay said and Ben nodded. Quickly, Ben leaned forward as if to snatch his wallet back but Jay leaned back to get out of reach. However, the older boy was confused by the smirk on Ben's face.

"Missing something Jay?" Ben asked, holding up Jay's phone. It'd been a gift from their team mates when Jay made the team—Carlos had gotten one too.

"How'd you—?"

"Emir's been my best friend since I was four, you honestly think he didn't teach me how to swipe things?"

Mal chuckled. "Well now Jay, losing your touch?"

"Beginners' luck," Jay said, shaking his head. "Alright Mitchell, exchange on three?"

"Fair enough," Ben nodded. "One, two, three…"

Both boys handed the swiped item to the other and made sure they were secured in their pockets. Mal quickly got to-go boxes for their lunches.

"I think we should go," she said softly. "Uma said Zevon and Freddy boy have been patrolling the Isle, and the last thing we'd want is for either of them to realize we were here."

"Considering Freddy's obsessed with you and Zevon's got a crush on you, that's a good idea Mal."

"Honestly Jay, Freddy boy is like three years older than me. He's _not_ obsessed with me…and I really can't say what Zevon's deal is but he doesn't have a crush. We don't do that on the Isle remember?"

"Well then he's obsessed as well and considering he's the right hand man of the Caster gang, that may be worse," Jay said. "He wouldn't be averse to using a potion on you."

"Half Fae, Jay," Mal said as they left the table. "There's not a lot that can spell us."

Mal gave a quick wave to Harry, who had replaced Smee behind the counter, before the three of them walked out.

"Mitchell, hold the food," Mal muttered, scanning the area around them. She was the only one with a sword—if she needed to fight, she couldn't be holding the leftovers.

Ben nodded, choosing not to comment about how tense Mal had gotten. The Isle was definitely different than what Ben had thought.

_Rotten food! They'd been eating rotten food! But why? We've been having food donation drives every month since I can remember. Hell, Akiho, Emir and I have been running the drives since we were thirteen! We've been donating food since we were eight! What in the world is going on here?_

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," a new voice broke into Ben's thoughts and he blinked as he saw a rather lean older boy with jet black hair walk up to them. "And I thought the Isle had gone down a witch."

"Don't get disappointed Freddy, Jay and I aren't here to stay," Mal said, her hand going to her sword. "In fact, we were just leaving."

"Nice joke Mal but everyone knows there's no way off the Isle," Freddy scoffed and then paused as he realized there was a third person with Mal and Jay. "Oh ho! Well you're not the pirate…and you're certainly not the other witch. You're too tall to be Hades' spawn, so who _are_ you?"

"None of your business," Mal snapped. "Jay, get him out of here. I'll deal with Freddy."

"Mal—"

"That's an _order_ Jay," Mal growled. " _Go_!"

The last thing Mal wanted was for Freddy to realize exactly _who_ Ben was, especially this close to his coronation.

"Oh, has the Dragon's Spawn finally cast a spell on someone?" Freddy taunted. "I think our new friend should stay. Maybe I could release him from whatever spell you have on him, save him from being damned for all eternity…?"

"Touch him and you'll be eating steel," Mal growled, taking the sword from her belt. "Jay, if you're not gone in five seconds, you're _swimming_ back to Auradon!"

The footsteps behind her told Mal that Jay had finally followed the order and was finding a new route to the limo. Freddy wasn't armed so all Mal'd have to do is knock him out and she could rejoin the boys.

A dagger to her shoulder proved her wrong.

"You honestly thought I wasn't armed?" Freddy scoffed. "God, this'll be easier than the time I pushed you into the cove when you were nine. Oh Maleficent made my father's life hell for that but it was worth it…until you showed your face around the Isle the next day."

"Sorry to ruin your murder plot," Mal growled, wincing slightly as the dagger continued to penetrate her skin. "And you're not going to kill me today either Freddy."

"And why not? You sent your allies off and you've clearly lost your touch if you thought I wasn't armed."

"Because Uma's no idiot," another male voice sounded from the roofline. Mal had never been more relieved to see some of the Warf Rats—specifically three. Henry, Derek and Ryan were three close friends and to be honest, Mal saw bits of Ben's friendship with Emir and Akiho in them.

They may have started off adversaries to Mal's crew, as the Warf Rats were plotting to steal Triton's trident if they ever got off the Isle. Uma may have hated the Atlantician side of her family but they were _her_ family. Only she could mess with them once they got off the Isle. But the promise of free food from Hades' restaurant brought the Rats over to Mal and Uma's side.

Once they were on their side, though, the Rats were extremely loyal. More importantly than that, they hated Freddy as much as Mal and Uma did.

"Henry," Freddy growled. "Thought you were more than Uma's lap dog."

"The captain orders you to do something, you do it," Henry snapped, making his way down to Mal and Freddy. "Mal, get out of here. We'll deal with the tool with the Bible shoved up his ass."

"How do you—"

"Some of the pirates are Frollo's disciples," Ryan said as he and Derek also made their way down to the ground. "All our parents were members of Hook's crew after all."

"Go, Mal!" Derek urged.

Mal nodded, dropping her sword as she sprinted away from the brewing fight. While she'd kick herself from running away from Frollo of all people, it was better to live to fight another day. She would _not_ die on the Isle.

"What happened to you?" Jay asked as Mal met them at the limo.

"Never mind that, go go go!" Mal urged. "Drive now, ask questions later! Details to follow!"

"Mal, Ben's the one driving," Jay stated as he climbed into the back with her. "Let me take a look at that shoulder."

Mal winced. "It's shallow. Freddy must have not wanted to hit me—either that or his aim was off."

"Knowing Freddy, his aim was probably off," Jay said. "I'm going to yank this out now so we don't cause a panic at school with you having a _dagger_ sticking out of your shoulder."

Mal nodded and didn't even wince as Jay removed the dagger. "I'll kill him."

"Because he put a hole in your jacket?"

"He bested me in a fight Jay," Mal growled. "I can handle losing to you or Harry, hell most of the time I lose to Uma. But I do _not_ lose to Freddy boy. When we get back to Auradon, we're sparring because clearly I've lost my touch!"

"When we get back to Auradon, you're going to see the nurse," Ben corrected, looking at Mal through the rearview mirror amidst the glow of the bridge. Mal could see the worry shining through Ben's eyes.

"Ben, the dagger did more to damage my jacket than my shoulder."

"Don't care. You're seeing the nurse. I don't want you dealing with an injury that might get worse without medical help."

Mal shrugged. "Ben you just saw the Isle. Did you see anything that looked like it might be a hospital? Most of us kids are pretty used to being our own doctors…but if it'll make you feel better, I'll go."

"Thank you," Ben sighed. As did Mal. She definitely wasn't looking forward to the first doctor visit of her life. And right before Family Day too—Steph would spend the day mother henning her, Mal could guarantee it.


	44. Chapter 44

Mal sighed as she got dressed into her outfit for Family Day. She knew Ben was probably going to be wearing a suit and the last thing she'd want to do is embarrass him in front of his family.

She rubbed her shoulder, which still smarted after her confrontation with Freddy boy the day before. Mal knew it would probably be a while before it didn't smart anymore, she was incredibly lucky that it had been a shallow hit. The nurse was even amazed that Mal hadn't been more injured.

Personally, Mal was more amazed that the nurse didn't ask more questions, though with Ben standing by her side, that was probably the reason why Mal didn't get the third degree.

She had to thank her father's God side for the minimal injuries—but even though Persephone had adopted her, Mal was still biologically Maleficent's. Meaning she still had the weaknesses of the Fae.

Mal hadn't noticed the bit of iron on the blade, and while she was lucky the iron had never entered her bloodstream, the iron part had still touched her shoulder. The burn hurt more than the stabbing if she was being honest.

_Honestly, the hole it left in my jacket was worse than anything. The wound will heal but I'm horrid at sewing,_ Mal thought bitterly. She had had that jacket since she was eight and this was the first rip/tear/spill that had graced it.

"Mal?" Evie said softly, walking up to the purple haired Godling. Evie was dressed in her Family Day outfit already, a blue and green dress that even Mal had to admit looked good on her.

"Yeah Evie?"

Evie gave her a small smile. "I know you spent last night in Jay's room but you'd dropped your jacket off…I hope you don't mind but I noticed you had gotten a hole in the shoulder doing whatever you were doing with Ben. Everyone on the Isle know how much you love this jacket considering that time you almost killed one of the Angels for almost getting paint on it when we all were eleven according to the Isle gossip grapevine…here."

The blue haired girl handed Mal her jacket and Mal was amazed to see that the hole had been sewn up. The thread was so fine that it was practically invisible at first glance; Mal had to run her hand over it to even know there had been a hole there.

"Evie…"

"I know we'll never be the closest," Evie said. "But we don't have a lot of possessions that are in as good of shape as your jacket is. Considering what you said when we first arrived, is…is it safe to assume Lady Persephone gave you that?"

Mal nodded slightly, still amazed at the skill Evie had taken to make sure the jacket looked brand new. "Mom made me this jacket…she had made it a bit big so I'd grow into it and I'd be able to have it for years after she gave it to me."

"Well she did a good job," Evie said. "That's some nice quality leather…at least judging by the feel. Oh! Your coronation dress is done too. After Family Day, we can pull up and I can do a final fitting."

"Evie, did you sleep at all last night?" Mal asked, surprising herself with the fact that she genuinely cared. But Evie had repaired her jacket and hadn't informed Fairy Godmother about her spending the night in Jay's room again. The least Mal could do is give a damn about Evie's health.

Actually, if Mal was honest, Evie had seemed a bit off ever since Fairy Godmother surprised them in their last Remedial Goodness class with a video conference with their parents. Or, Mal should say, surprised the other three. Mal had ducked out, claiming a woman's time of the month. She didn't trust Fairy Godmother not to make the same mistake as whoever addressed their invites off the Isle.

Apparently, she made the right choice as, according to Jay, Maleficent had been there but had left upon seeing there was no Mal. However, Jay had mentioned that Maleficent had looked extra long at Evie before leaving.

_It was probably nothing,_ Mal thought as she put her jacket on the bed. _Probably wondering where I was if Maleficent gave a damn about me at all. Doesn't matter anyway, I'm about to see mom for the first time in what feels like forever._

Evie shrugged as if to answer Mal's question. "I'll get a nap in later," she said, her voice still cheerful. "Come on, we don't want to be late for Family Day. Doug said the Glee club's putting on a performance for the parents."

"Oh we wouldn't want to miss _that_ ," Mal said with a small eye roll as she grabbed the only piece of jewelry she owned. Well with the exception of a couple of earrings. The piece in question was a dark blue flame sapphire charm on a silver chain.

Her parents had given it to her on her thirteenth birthday and she had always worn it under her jacket—the collar of her jacket was high enough to cover the gleam of the silver chain and keeping it zipped hid the charm.

Quickly putting the necklace on, Mal winced slightly as her blazer rubbed against the bandage on her shoulder.

_I have a good pain tolerance but being in pain while dealing with all of the Auradon royals is not something I thought I'd experience,_ she thought as Jay and Carlos met up with the two girls before making their way to the quad where Family Day was being held.

Mal couldn't help but smirk a little as she heard the music down on the quad. Ben's voice carried to the school and while Mal appreciated a classic, it felt rather…vanilla.

_I mean, 'Be Our Guest' is good but it's kinda on the nose isn't it? The son of Belle and Beastie, singing one of their songs?_ Mal thought. She couldn't help but think back to when she was about thirteen or fourteen and Hadie was about seven, the two of them goofing off on the guitar.

_"Hey storm cloud," Mal said with a small smirk as she walked into the den. "Whatcha working on?"_

_"Hey Mali," Hadie gave her a smile while he tuned his guitar. It had been a rare opportunity two years ago but one of the barges had had an acoustic guitar—one of the Boreadon elite must have thrown it out after it broke a string. Mal hadn't cared about that and swiped it to give to Hadie for his birthday. Sure it was missing a string but other than that, the guitar was in near perfect shape. "I'm just practicing."_

_Mal grinned; their father had been teaching Hadie how to play the guitar since her brother was about five. Just as Mal loved her power lessons, Hadie loved his practice sessions with their father._

_"I came up with a song," Hadie said. "You know how Wonderbreath has that song all about how great he is? I figured dad should have something like that but I can't come up with any lyrics."_

_"Well why don't you play a bit of what you have and I'll see if I can help," Mal said and Hadie started playing. Tilting her head in thought, Mal pulled out her sketchbook from her pocket and started to write._

_"Okay, what about this?" Mal said after a few minutes. "Steal my soul, Hades' on a roll. Greek God of the week on every Isle poll! What a pro, Hades owns your soul. Stick him with a contract and you're talking S.R.O! He was a baby (when he got eaten), now he's a hothead (Frollo calls him a heathen)! He's got the moxie, brains and spunk—Olympus to Isle, that really stunk. Olympus to Isle…who'd have thunk?"_

_Hadie grinned. "Oh I like that Mali! Are we going to stick with just that or should we carry on with the song?"_

_"Let's keep going," Mal said, scooting closer to her brother. This was how their father found them a few hours later._

_"You two have been very quiet. Why?"_

_"Honestly dad, it's like you don't trust us," Mal said with a small smirk._

_"You're my children, of course I trust you Mali. However you're also children on the Isle of the Lost so I know you're plotting something."_

_Hadie chuckled. "We're just writing a song dad."_

_"Oh really? Can I hear it?"_

_Mal and Hadie looked at each other and grinned, springing to their feet as Hadie started playing on the guitar._

_"Who puts the glad in 'gladiator'? Hades! Who's Isle deeds make for great theater?! Hades! Is he hot? He's on fire! Is he—?"_

_"Okay, okay," Hades said, cutting them off._

_"But dad!"_

_"I was around when the muses performed the original, I know how long that goes," Hades said with a chuckle. "I'm going back to work, you all can keep writing that if you want. Don't destroy the Underworld."_

_"Yes dad!" Mal and Hadie said with innocent grins that Hades didn't believe for a second._

"What are you thinking about?" Jay muttered, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Dad," Mal muttered back and Jay nodded. Mal sighed and shook her head. "I guess we should make our way down there huh?"

"Do we have to?" Carlos asked. "None of us actually _have_ family down there. Well except for you Mal."

Mal sighed. "It's up to you Carlos. But if we don't at least make an appearance, Sleeping Brat and her lackeys will start stirring up rumors about us."

"What else is new?" Jay scoffed. "Still, I'm with you til the end of the line cap'n."

Mal nodded. "I know Jay."

"Well, it can't hurt to make an appearance," Evie said softly. "After all we're Auradon Prep students. We've just as much right to be there as Audrey and her friends."

Mal nodded and the four of them slowly made their way down to the quad, Mal quickly grabbing a nearby strawberry from a table as Evie and Carlos seemed to separate from her and Jay. She couldn't help but frown, despite not being all that close to Evie and only just warming up to Carlos, they were VKs in a sea of Auradonians. Safety in numbers after all.

"Mal!" Ben called and Mal grinned upon seeing him. That grin seemed to fade into a look of shock as she took in what Ben was wearing.

"What's with the look?" Ben asked and Mal had to shake her head a little.

"You—You look great!"

Ben gave her a small smile. "You really think so? Akiho and Emir dragged me off shopping after we got back from our trip yesterday and I figured it'd be a good idea to wear my new shirt. I won't have a lot of opportunities after tomorrow. I already got my photo with my parents wearing the suit blazer so everything else doesn't matter."

Mal grinned and took in the shirt. It was a blue and white shirt with sleeves that seemed to come down about three quarters of his arms. Oddly enough, it seemed to bring out the green in his eyes. It paired really nicely with his dress pants; if Mal hadn't known it wasn't a dress shirt, she would have been completely fooled.

"Ben, if you're worried about people's reaction to you wearing something 'not formal', don't be," Mal said gently, seeing the slight worry in Ben's eyes. "Anyone who says you shouldn't be wearing that is stuck in the 14th century."

Ben gave her a weak smile. "I know and I like wearing this. It's just…it's the first time since I think I was six that I haven't been in a complete suit around this many royals. Family Day's nerve wracking enough, even for me…"

"Okay, take a deep breath," Mal said gently. "It's just clothes. If anyone makes a comment, you send them to me or you send them to your shadows. Okay? Now, go on. I think I see your parents over there. I know you said you had a photo with them but that's not the same as an official visit. They're going to think something's wrong if we hang out here all day."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with hanging out with you."

"I know Ben, but it _is_ Family Day. At some point, you will have to hang out with your _family_."

"Okay," Ben said with a chuckle.

Mal gave him a small smile. "Go on. I'll be right here if the conversation gets too boring. And Ben…think of it this way. Rules were meant to be broken. If they weren't, I wouldn't be here. You're happy about that right?"

"Of course I am!" Ben said with a small smile of his own.

"There you go."

Ben leaned over and kissed her cheek, unaware of what he'd done as he was lost in thought. "Okay, I'm going. Otherwise, mom and dad'll be coming over here. As much as I want to introduce you to my parents, that might be a bit awkward."

"Go!" Mal said with a chuckle.

Ben nodded and took a soft breath before walking over to his parents. "Hey mom, hey dad."

Belle smiled and gave him a hug which Ben happily returned.

"One might say you're happy to see me, mom," he teased.

"Hush you," Belle told him with a chuckle.

"Yes mom. It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too Ben," Belle said gently. "You look happy."

Ben nodded with a small smile.

"You know son, I know I see you at the council meetings but that doesn't mean you don't have to greet me," Beast teased gently.

Ben grinned, chuckling as he hugged his father. "Hi dad," he said.

"Hello Ben," Beast said, returning the hug. "You're looking well. I meant to say that during the picture but we didn't really have the chance to talk."

"Thanks dad," Ben said with a smile. "How've you two been?"

"We've been good Ben," Belle said, a smile of her own on her lips. "Your father keeps insisting I've read every book in our library though."

"You probably have, mom."

"See Belle? I told you Ben would agree with me!" Beast said with a chuckle.

"Honestly! I haven't read every book in the library," Belle said, rolling her eyes. "Some of them are in Greek."

"And I'm sure that knowing you, you'll learn Greek just to read them," Beast teased.

"Maybe after coronation dear. Greek is a hard language to learn. So Ben, what have you been up to?" Belle asked and Ben paused.

_Would this be a good time to bring up the fact that I have a new girlfriend?_ Ben thought. _I mean, they have kinda given me an opening._

Taking a small breath, Ben said, "I have a new girlfriend."

"Oh," Belle said with a small smile.

"Yeah," Ben nodded, smiling as he thought of Mal.

"Do we know your new girlfriend?" Beast asked.

"Sort of."

"Well I'm sure we'll meet her later if she's here with her family," Belle said and Ben nodded.

_Mal is here with Jay so that counts as her family if Lady Persephone isn't here,_ Ben thought with a slightly sad smile.

"I have to say Ben, I like your new shirt," Belle said, pulling Ben out of his thoughts. "It suits you."

"Thanks mom," Ben said, smiling a little. "Emir and Akiho got tired of the suits."

"Why am I not surprised those two were involved somehow?"

"Because they usually are," Ben said with a chuckle.

"Honestly, I'm surprised they're not glued to your side like they usually are," Belle shook her head in amusement.

"Don't speak too soon mom. Right now though, they should be on dates but I'm sure they'll find a way to glue themselves to my side sooner or later," Ben said. It had taken about three hours but Ben had finally convinced those two to ask out Emma White and Elle, Ariel's eldest daughter. Also known as the two girls Emir and Akiho had been pining over for three years. Each.

"Well I know this guy looks like Ben and sounds like Ben but it can't be Ben. My petit frère in something other than a completed suit?" Chip's voice sounded from behind Ben.

"Chip!" Ben spun around and practically tackled the older boy.

"Oof! Hey Ben," Chip said with a chuckle. "Gee, you'd think you were happy to see me or something."

"Cut me some slack, I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Oh yeah," Chip chuckled. "Well I'm here now—and whoever picked out that shirt for you needs to be _knighted_. Looking good, Benji!"

"Thanks," Ben chuckled.

"You're welcome Ben," Chip said, wrapping his arm around Ben's shoulders. "Hey Belle, Adam. Sorry I'm late."

"Not a problem Chip."

"Oh! So I told mom and dad but you should probably know too Chip," Ben said. "I have a new girlfriend."

"Considering I'm the one you called for help with your date, I would hope so," Chip chuckled. "Is she the one who got you your new shirt?"

"No, Emir and Akiho are the ones who got my shirt," Ben said with a small smile.

"Well where is she?" Chip asked. "I for one would love to meet her!"

"She's over…Mal!" Ben gave a small wave to get Mal's attention, not noticing how his parents seemed to freeze. He smiled as Mal walked over, meeting her halfway up the path. "Mal, I want you to meet my parents and Chip."

"Ben, is this a good idea?" Mal asked softly, biting her lip. "You know, with me being from the Isle and all?"

"Mal, Chip already loves you."

"Ben, Chip hasn't even _met_ me…and what about your parents?"

"They want to meet you too."

Mal sighed. "Okay Ben…if you're sure."

Ben gave her a soft smile before turning back toward his parents and Chip, taking care to wrap his arm around Mal's waist and not her shoulder as to not cause her pain. "Mom, dad, Chip. This is Mal. From the Isle. My girlfriend."

"Hi," Mal said with a shy smile, bowing her head a little. She wasn't going to give them a full on curtsey considering what all Beastie and Belle had done to her family, to the people of the Isle, but she'd be polite.

"Hello Mal," Belle said but it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was shocked. Beast just nodded, as shocked as his wife.

Chip, however, had no qualms about Ben dating Mal. "Enchante mademoiselle," he said with a smile. "Anyone who can get Ben to break off the betrothal contract is more than welcome here."

"Believe me, it took some convincing," Mal said with a chuckle.

"I can believe it. Benji's stubborn when he wants to be."

Ben rolled his eyes. "I'm not _that_ stubborn," he muttered.

"Ben, take it from me. You're stubborn," Chip said with a chuckle and Mal couldn't help but giggle slightly.

Chip grinned. "See? Even your girlfriend thinks you're stubborn. How'd your date at the Enchanted Lake go by the way?"

"Should I be worried you're this invested in my relationship with Mal?" Ben asked. "Cause you weren't like this with Audrey."

"Benji, _you_ weren't like this with Audrey," Chip stated. "But let's not talk about Princess Leech, especially since the Beauty Matriarch from Hell is probably on the warpath right now. Plus probably not the best idea to talk about your ex in front of your current girlfriend."

"How would you know? You're always single," Ben teased. Mal remained silent though, smirking slightly at the new nickname for Sleeping Brat.

_Oh just wait till Jay hears the new nickname,_ she thought.

"Well anyway, how about lunch?" Ben offered.

"Sounds good to me," Mal nodded. Ben smiled and the three of them started to make their way to the food tent.

"She really is a good fit for you Benji," Chip whispered to Ben. "You seem like you actually like her. Whenever I saw you around Audrey and she clung to your arm, you looked like you couldn't get out of there fast enough."

"Yeah well…Mal's not a 'clinger' as you put it. The only reason she wrapped her arm around my waist was because she probably wanted to make a good impression on mom and dad."

"Considering your parents haven't said a word since she said hello, I think your folks are still stunned," Chip muttered.

Mal couldn't help but frown slightly as she heard that. She didn't know why she expected anything less from Belle and Beastie though.

Ben frowned and turned to his parents. "Mom, dad? Are you going to join us for lunch?"

"Oh, um, of course!"

"Great!" Ben grinned, turning away and taking Mal's hand; lacing his fingers through hers.

_Buck up Mal, you can vent to Jay later if you insist. At least let Ben think you're happy,_ she thought. _Besides, at least Belle and Beast aren't being rude or snobby…and you know you're not the typical girl Ben might date. Of course they're in shock. Who wouldn't be…at least to them, Maleficent's daughter is dating their son. Honestly I'm surprised Beast hasn't ordered guards to separate me and Ben. Probably doesn't want to cause a panic with the other royals. Got to keep up the royal image after all…_

"What are you hungry for?" Ben asked gently, pulling Mal out of her thoughts.

"I'm not fussy," Mal told him with a small smile.

"Are you sure? Anything you want, name it and I bet they can make it."

"Ben, seriously, whatever that they have to offer is fine."

Ben nodded, the memory of what they had eaten on the Isle coming to the forefront of his mind. "They usually have a buffet or you can order something from the menu."

"I'll just get something from the buffet."

Ordering from the menu just seemed too…greedy for her…and that was the last thing she wanted to be. Not when she knew first hand how precious food was.

_Of course Boreadon has enough food to offer both a menu and a buffet,_ Mal thought with an inward sigh. _Meanwhile kids on the Isle are dying between food shipments…don't think about that. You're trying to make a good impression and play nice. Ending up in a yelling match with Beastie is not the way to go._

"Ben, how about a game of croquet after lunch?" Beast asked, speaking for the first time since Mal walked up.

"Sure," Ben grinned, looking over at Mal. "Have you played before?"

"No."

"You'll be fine," Ben reassured her.

"Ben, I don't even know what croquet _is_ ," Mal said softly.

"You hit a ball with a mallet, that's basically all it is."

Mal nodded. _Seems rather boring,_ she thought.

"Come on," Ben said gently. "We can grab some food from the buffet and sit back down…or I can grab a plate for you if you want?"

"I'll come with you."

There was no way she could stand the awkwardness of being left alone with his parents, considering Chip had already descended upon the buffet.

"Okay," Ben said with a smile. "There's chicken, soup, salad, burgers…"

"Um…I'll have some chicken," Mal said. It wouldn't be as good as her dad's but at least it might feel like a bit of home.

Ben smiled. "Help yourself."

Mal smiled back and the two of them walked up to the buffet to grab their food. Twenty minutes later, Mal tried to hide her bored expression as she stared at the ground.

_How in the world was this supposed to be fun?! I'm about to whack my head with this mallet—if Ben is actually enjoying this, I'm seriously worried about this boy! Oh Gods, this is killing my shoulder! Just fake it Mal. It'll be over soon and then I can relax with Ben. At least the other royals are basically ignoring me and I haven't seen any sign of Sleeping Brat. That's good, at least I don't have to play nice the way Evie is with Snow or the way Carlos is with Anita. All I have to be is pretend to be interested in croquet._

"I find it boring too," Chip muttered to Mal as he walked up.

"How do you stand it?" Mal muttered back, slightly concerned that the former teacup had read her mind.

"Oh usually by cursing the inventor of the game in my head. Though I'm horrible at it so I usually bow out after a round."

Mal smiled. "I might just do that. I'm going to take the rest of my plate to Jay."

"Sounds good. I'll let Ben know if he asks."

Mal smiled and grabbed her plate, walking over to the boy who was practically her brother. "Jay!"

"Yeah Mal?"

"Here. I can't eat it all and it shouldn't go to waste. It's not as good as dad's but it's decent," Mal said softly, handing Jay the plate.

"Thanks Mal," Jay said, taking the plate. "How's the…whatever it was you were doing?"

"Mind numbingly boring, but I'm trying to play nice though I think they already don't like me," Mal sighed.

"It's King Beastie. I'm pretty sure he doesn't like any of us from the Isle," Jay sighed.

"True, as Audrey said, in my story the evil fairy doesn't turn into the princess, she's just the evil fairy."

"Since when does what _Audrey_ says matter? Besides the only way you're connected to Maleficent's story is because she gave you life. That's it."

"Don't worry about me Jay," Mal said with a sad smile. "I'll just enjoy this while it lasts."

"You think something's going to happen?" Jay asked, tensing a little.

"Jay, we're VKs surrounded by royals. It's not out of the realm of possibilities. As I said, I'll enjoy it while it lasts."

"I'm with you no matter what happens Mal," Jay said, keeping his voice low.

"I know."

Jay gave her a small smile and nibbled on some of the chicken. "You're right, it is good…not as good as Lord Hades' but still good."

"Share it with Carlos if you want. He needs some fattening up."

"I'll share it with him if I see him."

"Good."

Jay nodded. "So…I know I'm jinxing us here but is it weird that the other royals are practically ignoring us?"

"Shh!" Mal hissed playfully. "If they ignore us then we don't have to play nice."

"Right," Jay nodded. "Let's give it another hour and then bounce. We did our part, made an appearance…"

Mal looked over at Ben, who was enjoying his round of croquet with Beast. "I don't know Jay…I mean don't I have to stay? As Ben's girlfriend? I mean I met his parents…they're going to wonder why we left early. You can go if you want though."

"You stay, I stay Mal." Jay said. "So, what do we do? Mingle?"

"It can't be any worse than croquet," Mal muttered.

"Yeah, that game seems really strange from what I saw," Jay shook his head and Mal snorted in amusement.

"You can say that again."

"...Wanna go make some smoke bombs and throw them at trees or something?"

"That sounds fun. I think there's a grove off a ways that'll work."

Jay grinned and the two of them snuck off to make the smoke bombs. Luckily the Chemistry classroom was still unlocked.

"Now _this_ is fun," Mal said as she measured out the ingredients for the smoke bombs, earning a chuckle from Jay. Thankfully Freddy had hit her non dominant shoulder so she'd still be able to throw the smoke bombs.

"And we haven't even thrown them yet," Jay pointed out.

"Ooh I can't wait to see how Auradon smoke bombs compare to Isle smoke bombs."

"We'll just have to be careful not to be caught. Or accidentally hit one of the royals. The screams that would follow…"

"Oh now, you're just making it more tempting Jay," Mal said with a fake pout and Jay chuckled again.

"You can imagine the trees as the royals, how about that?"

"…deal."

"Great. Now come on. The sooner we get these made, the sooner we're out there pelting trees."

They got back to work and soon Mal and Jay rushed over to the grove with their bag filled of smoke bombs. Handing Jay a smoke bomb, Mal smirked. "Ready on three?"

"One…"

"…two…"

"…THREE!"

They threw their smoke bombs and the trees are soon covered in purple and yellow smoke. Mal couldn't help but cheer to herself.

_**This** was fun, not whacking a ball with a mallet, _she thought. _I wonder if I can't get Ben to sneak away for a bit. Throwing smoke bombs isn't evil, it's more wicked if anything…and everyone has a wicked side after all._

"Hey Jay? Do you think we'd be able to get Ben to do this?" Mal asked as she tossed another smoke bomb.

"I'd say maybe not today but tomorrow's his coronation…if you can get him to slip away, I'd say go for it."

"Jay, you want me to get him to slip away at a _televised_ event? I'm good but not that good."

"I meant _today_ Mal," Jay chuckled. "I figured we'd have no shot at getting him to slip away tomorrow."

" _That_ I can do."

"Then go for it cap'n."

Mal grinned. "Stay here, I'll be back with Ben," she said and scurried off. Quickly locating the brunet, Mal slid up next to him. "You want to sneak away?" Mal muttered to him.

"What did you have in mind?" Ben muttered back.

"Come on," Mal grinned. Ben shook his head and followed Mal back to the grove.

"This might get a bit crazy, just a fair warning," Mal said with a chuckle.

"Mal, you act as though I'm going to run screaming at the idea of something crazy."

"Well considering who you're around normally…"

"Oh you mean Akiho and Emir? AKA the kings of getting into mischief and dragging me along for the ride?" Ben chuckled and picked up a smoke bomb.

"Just aim for the tree Ben," Jay said, sitting on a nearby stump.

"I _know_ how to throw a smoke bomb Jay," Ben told him.

"Really? Have you ever thrown one before?"

Ben smirked slightly and threw the smoke bomb right at Jay's chest. "That answer your question?"

Mal burst out laughing at Jay's stunned expression.

"You sir have just declared war!" Jay said after getting over the shock.

"Oh really? Bring it Jay!" Ben teased, grabbing another smoke bomb.

"You're going to be sorry you said that!"

Soon a barrage of smoke bombs start to fly amid Mal's laughter. The boys paused and smirked at each other. "You know Jay, I think Mal's missing out on the fun here," Ben teased.

"Think _very_ carefully about what you're about to do next Ben," Mal said with a smirk.

"Oh? And what are you going to do if I say do this?" Ben asked as he threw the smoke bomb at her and that was all it took to get Mal involved. Soon the grove was filled with smoke and the sounds of laughter.

"I can clean it for you," Mal panted and giggled about fifteen minutes later as she flopped onto Ben, who was lying on his back grinning, Mal's hands running over his paint splattered shirt.

"It's fine, I'm sure it'll wash out," Ben grinned as he held her close to him. "And if not…it's just a shirt."

"I told you it would get crazy."

"I'm fine with crazy. Remember who my best friends are."

Mal chuckled. "We should get you cleaned up before someone comes looking for you. Even though frankly all you look like is a teen."

"I know, I know," Ben said softly. "But _someone's_ going to ask what happened if we show back up covered in paint."

Mal sighed. "Beware forswear, make the paint stains disappear."

In the blink of an eye, all signs of the smoke bombs had vanished from all three of them.

"There," Mal said softly. "Like it never happened."

_Now I just have to go back to pretending croquet is fun and being ignored by the royals…don't say anything. This is Ben's last day as a regular team before his coronation. Let's go._

Ben gently took her hand once more and laced his fingers through hers as they made their way back to Family Day. Mal gave him a small smile. Ben returned the smile and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"If you don't want Leah screaming your ear off, I'd tone down the PDA," Chip muttered as he walked up to them.

"It was a kiss on the _cheek_ Chip, come on!"

"You really think Queen Bat would care about that? She's already come by and badgered your parents. I think she came around about five minutes after you and Mal slipped away."

"What did she want?"

"Oh the usual. How could they allow the betrothal contract to be dissolved, think of how heartbroken Audrey was. She even asked if you were in the right mindset to ask for the end of the contract considering your performance on the Tourney field."

"Great," Ben groaned.

"Yeah. Your mom was awesome though. Basically told Leah as diplomatically as possible that she could take her opinion and stick it where the sun don't shine."

Mal smiled. _Even if Belle was shocked by Ben dating me, at least she wasn't siding with Leah._

"Chip? How did dad respond to Leah's...barrage of questioning I guess would be the most polite term?" Ben asked.

"Basically said it was your choice, just like he told her after the Tourney game."

"Oh thank Gods!"

"You look like you've had a weight taken off of you," Mal said softly, giving his hand a small squeeze.

"Just…the fact that dad said it was _my_ choice," Ben told her. "I know dad loves me but I also know Leah's on his council so he might have needed to appease her."

"Yeah well, she might not be on the council much longer," Mal muttered.

"That would be the day," Ben sighed.

"Well, who is going to be king tomorrow?"

"Er…I am."

"Exactly," Mal said with a small smirk.

"Oh… _Oh_!" Ben said and then smirked. "You, Mal, are a genius! Chip, I'm dating a genius."

"Of course you are," Chip chuckled. "Not like you wouldn't have come up with that on your own Benji."

"Anyway, Leah's days on the council are numbered after tomorrow," Mal said with a slight smile. Ben returned the smile and wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to avoid touching her shoulder.

"You're playing with fire right now Ben," Mal chuckled.

"Am I?" Ben teased. "I'm not doing anything, just showing affection to my girlfriend. Besides we'll hear Leah coming before we see her."

He smiled and lightly kissed Mal's cheek again.

"There you are!"

Mal felt Ben stiffen slightly but he kept a smile on his face. "Queen Leah, how can we help you?"

_Is she an idiot? Shrieking like that at Ben?_ Mal thought. _Then again, Leah never struck me as the most intelligent. The whole mess with Aurora could have been avoided by inviting Maleficent._

"I gather you've already spoken to my parents," Ben said diplomatically.

"I have, yes. I was _hoping_ to clear up the mixup between our families regarding the betrothal contract and the embarrassment of poor Audrey!" Leah shrieked.

"Queen Leah, please lower your voice and we will discuss this calmly. However I fail to see how there could've been a mix up. After all, it was discussed with both my mother and Princess Aurora and they agreed to dissolve the contract," Ben stated. "Since they were the ones who _made_ the contract in the first place, it appears it has been amicably dissolved. Unless Princess Aurora changed her mind?"

"The contract was _legally binding_! They had _no_ right to dissolve it without consulting me!" Leah exclaimed.

"The contract _also_ relies on _consent_. I simply withdrew mine," Ben said, his voice growing a bit firmer. "Queen Leah, it's the _twenty first_ century. Are you saying that I don't have the right to consent to marry who I choose? Audrey and I are just not compatible. Are you saying you want your granddaughter to be miserable?"

"Of course not! But Ben, Audrey was so happy when you two were together-every couple have these ups and downs, and can you really say that it's you making this call?"

"Queen Leah, just _what_ are you implying?" Ben asked, his voice growing firmer.

"Simply that many of your friends don't like poor Audrey and that you've been getting closer than advised to a certain someone who as you know has it in for my family," Leah said, eyeing Mal with distain.

"Oh are you referring to my _girlfriend_?" Ben asked, his polite smile becoming fixed. "And, while true my friends may not have been the fondest of Audrey, they didn't influence my decision to withdraw my consent. You say that you don't want your granddaughter to be miserable, am I not allowed the same consideration? Let us not forget that Audrey and I were _three_ when we were put in the contract. You can't hold _three year olds_ accountable for things done on their behalf nor did you give thought to the fact that Audrey and I may not want to be in a relationship as we got older. I'm sorry but the way Audrey handled the break up only serves as a sign to me that I made the right decision. Now, we can continue to discuss this but I'm going to have to ask that you leave my friends and my _girlfriend_ out of this."

Ben gave Jay a pointed look as if to tell him to take Mal away from the conversation. "Go on. I'll be fine," he said to Mal, his tone turning gentle as Jay came up and led her off.

Mal frowned but let Jay lead her away a bit, staying in earshot. "Jay, what are you doing? Since when do we run from a fight?" she whispered.

"We're not running. We're making a tactical retreat."

"From that old bat? We're just going to abandon Ben? I thought our motto was ruthless yet loyal not flee and abandon?"

"Mal, it was at Ben's request."

"Jay, this is the same guy who used to think skipping meals was perfectly normal."

"Mal, think about what'll happen if we got involved. I don't like backing down anymore than you do but if we get involved, even if she starts something, we'll be the ones blamed. If we're the ones blamed then Ben'll have a harder time bringing over more kids from the Isle."

"…Fine Jay. But we stay here and we stay within earshot. If Ben needs help, I'm not abandoning him."

Jay nodded as Mal sighed and looked out toward the Isle. "Do you miss them?" she asked softly.

"Every day. But that's why we can't get involved."

Mal nodded. "For Uma, Harry and Hadie. But Jay, you know Ben is a people pleaser. Leah might try to play on that."

"I don't think he'll let her Mal," Emir said, walking over.

"Yeah Mal, now that he's free of the contract I doubt Ben would let someone talk him back into it," Akiho agreed. "Look at him: his back's totally straight, his head's up, his eyes are almost narrowed. He's not going to back down."

"I know you guys know Ben best, being friends for twelve years, but this isn't Audrey. It's Leah. Audrey had to get her sliminess from somewhere."

Mal bit her lip, she didn't want Ben back in the stupid contract and not just because Audrey would be happy with that result. She found she actually cared for Ben...and enjoyed being in the relationship with him.

"Ben, you and Audrey were so good together. I'm sure if you just talk it out—" Leah said in a faux sweet tone of voice.

"Queen Leah, while we may be a viable match on _paper_ we are certainly not a match in person. No amount of talking will change that."

"Now Ben, there are plenty of royals who've thrived in a contract. Why, my own daughter—"

"Forgive me for interrupting but if I remember correctly, Aurora _chose_ Phillip. True, he was her betrothed but when they first met in the forest, he didn't know that. If your own daughter is allowed to pick her happiness, why can't I? If your true interests are for the kingdom as you constantly tell me and my father, wouldn't it better for my rule if I'm in a match that makes me happy?"

"Of course I and everyone else on the council wish to see you happy Ben. But could you truly be happy with a girl you barely know? You've known Audrey since you were a toddler after all."

"And that may be a thing to consider if it hadn't become incredibly clear to me that Audrey doesn't place much value on my welfare."

"Why whatever do you mean Ben? I know that Audrey cares about you very much and was devastated to learn about the end of the contract."

_Yeah I'll bet she was devastated,_ Mal thought, rolling her eyes. _Devastated that she wouldn't get to be Queen. Gods I can't take this anymore. I'm going over there._

"Madam, I'd like to point out that Princess Audrey didn't even know where Prince Ben's office was before Prince Ben gave the directions to myself and the other new students. It was Prince Ahkio and Emir, not Princess Audrey, who were bringing him food and making sure he didn't injure himself by sleeping at his desk. Not only that but Princess Audrey placed her fondness of shopping over Prince Ben's health, making him go with her to shops when he was so tired he was in danger of becoming ill. Does that sound like someone who had her partner's welfare in mind to you?" Mal said bluntly, walking over to them.

Leah and Ben looked over at Mal, Ben giving her a small smile while Leah's eyes narrowed at the sight of Mal.

"Audrey has many duties among the school, she can't be expected to remember the location of an office," Leah sniffed. "If Ben's friends wish to do such things, that's their business. As well, that hardly sounds like Audrey. However, it would benefit you to spread lies about Audrey so your own match with Ben looks more stable now doesn't it?"

"While there is no love between me and Princess Audrey, I would like to point out that she and I have only spoken on the day we met and leaving Chemistry. As for my match with Prince Ben, I don't need to lie to make it more stable." Mal said. "However I have spoken multiple times with Prince Ben's friends regarding Princess Audrey's treatment toward him, and they're not the type to lie. Not about matters like this. As Prince Ben has already pointed out, they aren't a viable match and if my knowledge is correct, Princess Audrey is still first in line for her kingdom's throne. If she really had Prince Ben's best interests at heart, she should be pleased that he is now free to find a more suitable match and be content with her own inheritance as there are many people in the world who would gladly have _half_ the life she has."

"Is that a threat?" Leah asked. "Your mother wasn't content with robbing me of my ability to raise my daughter so now you have to come around and threaten Audrey. Ben had no interest in ending the contract until he met you-you mustn't trust her Ben."

"It's not a threat Madam. It is a fact."

"Queen Leah, Mal has done nothing to make me question my trust in her. In fact the VK's are more decent than some people that I could name here and it's only narrow mindedness that's preventing them from having the life that they should've had at birth."

" _Decent_? Don't you remember the poisoned apples? The spells! Ben, I'm sure you think you're doing them a favor but the fact remains—they're villains. What's to stop them from destroying Auradon and bringing their parents over here?"

"My point exactly! With an attitude like that you're just giving more reason to want to! They're children! They're teenagers, the same age as me! But for a twist of fate it could have been me born on that Isle. They're not their parents and should be given the chance to rise or fall on their own merits! Anything less is discrimination! There're more children on that Isle who deserve a chance and yes, I said chance because honestly it's ridiculous that we say we're giving them a second chance when they were never given a first one. And after tomorrow, I will give them that chance-whether you approve of it or not! Now I believe we've said everything that needs to be said. I apologize if Audrey is upset right now but the contract's been dissolved and won't be reinstated. Now if you'll kindly excuse me I'm going to go back to enjoying time with my girlfriend as we were doing before we were interrupted. If you'll excuse us Queen Leah. I hope you enjoy the rest of Family Day," Ben said as he and Mal began to walk toward the others.

"Ben! We aren't done here! You humiliated my granddaughter! And for that matter what are you wearing?

"I believe it's called a shirt," Ben calls over his shoulder."Funny enough they've been worn by people for hundreds of years."

"That's not what I meant! Everyone else is wearing formal attire and yet you look like you're about to go to a Tourney game!"

"It's smart and comfortable and you never know, there may be a Tourney game later. For that matter why is it your concern? My parents approve."

"Ben I have to say, that was amazing!" Emir said as Ben and Mal rejoined the group. "I'd have applauded if the situation wasn't so serious."

"It really was Ben," Akiho nodded.

"Guys I didn't do anything-"

"Ben, you stood up to _Leah_. Not only that but you shut down every single one of her arguments."

"We are so proud of you! We can't even-"

"Guys!" Ben chuckled. "I didn't do anything. Leah made her arguments and I responded with logic. That's it. You know I'm surprised Audrey didn't try to interject herself into the conversation."

"She probably thought Leah was enough."

"At least we don't have to worry about her or Leah bothering us again today."

"Don't jinx it!"

"Yeah Ben, you remember how long Audrey bugged you after the break up. If she saw Leah talking to you, she might get ideas. So hush."

"Okay, okay," Ben chuckled. "I'll just enjoy the day with my girlfriend."

"You do that."

Mal smirked. "I like the sound of that by the way."

Chip chuckled, noticing Belle and Beast walking up. "Hey Benji, I think your folks are about to join the party here."

"I'll um...leave you to it" Mal says softly, the smirk fading.

"You sure?" Ben asked with a small frown.

"Yeah...they're your parents. I'll be fine Ben," Mal said, gently giving him a kiss on the cheek.

She headed off with Jay, Emir and Akiho to find the others. Even if they weren't extremely close, it'd be a good idea to at least check on them.

"Chip, what's mom and dad's problem with Mal?" Ben asked softly, watching Mal walk off. He wasn't blind after all.

"They're just surprised Benji..."

"Why? Because Mal's from the Isle? Can you honestly say they'd be reacting like this if I said oh I don't know Rowyn Fitzherbert was my girlfriend?"

"…Probably not. But then again, it could just be because Mal is Audrey's opposite in every way, shape and form."

"But mom doesn't even like Audrey. She said so before the call to finalize the contract getting dissolved."

"Well then the only thing you can do is ask them Benji. For what it's worth though, as long as you're happy, that's all I care about. I like her."

Ben smiled slightly. "I'm glad Chip. Mal's...she's amazing. I just wish I could get mom and dad to see that too."

"They will. Just give them time."

"How much time though?"

Chip sighed. "Talk to them Benji."

Belle and Beast walked up to them just as Ben nodded. "Ah there he is! Seems like you're always disappearing on us Ben," Beast joked.

"Sorry mom, dad. I was just spending time with Mal," Ben said.

"We saw."

Ben frowned. "Look guys, let's not dance around it okay? What's your problem with Mal?"

"Ben, we don't have a...problem with her per say but she's...she's not who we'd expect you to be dating."

"And why should there be expectations?"

"Ben, it's just a shock...after all she's Maleficent's daughter, we just-"

"Who's daughter she is should have nothing to do with it. It was never brought up that Audrey was Princess Aurora's daughter. Why should Mal have a stigma attached to her?

"Ben, Maleficent is the worst villain in the land. I know you want to see the good but we don't know what these kids have been taught. We just want you to be careful."

Ben fought to not roll his eyes "She knows how to care about people better than some. Besides dad, I'd have thought _you_ of all people would know the importance of not going by first impressions. You had to get mom to love you while covered in fur but a girl who's shown she cares more about me in a month than Audrey did in the entire time we were dating has to prove herself? Mal makes me happy, shouldn't that be the most important thing?"

"Okay, okay," Chip said, getting in the middle. "Why don't we all take this talk someplace where we aren't in the middle of a big open field? This obviously needs some discussing."

"That's not a bad idea," Beast nodded.

"...my office?" Ben offered, glowering slightly.

"That's as good a place as any."

"Let's go then," Ben sighed. "Hopefully Emir hasn't locked me out of it," he muttered as they made their way there. Reaching his office, Ben sighed in relief to find it was unlocked. The four of them filed in, Ben closing the door behind him.

"Right, okay, so back to what we were talking about," Chip sighed. "Belle, Adam...I personally don't see the issue with Mal. Sure, she may be a bit blunt sometimes but she's a nice girl."

"Apparently mom and dad only see who Mal's born to. Never mind the fact that Audrey shares blood with Leah yet they had no issue putting me in a betrothal contract with Audrey!" Ben scoffed.

"Ben, we're sure Mal's a nice girl but when you're a parent you want to make sure your kid is safe," Belle said gently. "If you got hurt..."

"Mom! If Mal wanted to hurt me, she would have done it by now! Not to mention that she wouldn't care that I wasn't happy in the first place. I can't even _be_ love spelled so what's the danger?"

"Villains are good actors Ben, and there're other dangers than just love spells," Beast said, crossing his arms. "Besides, this is the first time you've ever mentioned being unhappy in the betrothal contract since the VKs got off the Isle."

Ben crossed his arms as well and tilted his head as he looked at Belle. "Mom? You never told him?"

Belle sighed. "Adam, I...I told Ben when he was twelve, if he ever wanted out to just tell me and I'd handle it."

"He and Audrey didn't start dating til fifteen-"

"I know Adam. But Leah insisted on finalizing that contract back when the kids were three, remember? We have that photo of Ben and Audrey where Ben's holding a crown...anyway I made sure that Ben had a way out of the contract if he wanted it. We managed just fine without one Adam, why shouldn't our son have the same chance?"

"Belle, of course Ben should've been able to get out of the contract," Beast nodded. "But there's a safety concern with him dating the child of Maleficent. What if this is a ploy by her to get off the Isle?"

Ben sighed. "Dad, Mal is _not_ Maleficent's daughter."

"Ben, the registry clearly states that Mal is Maleficent's daughter," Beast stated. "Now it's possible Maleficent lied but we have no way of verifying that."

"Maybe ask the girl you keep vilifying?! Or check the _written_ registry?"

"Ben, when you're a parent-which will be far, _far_ off in the future-you'll understand our concern. There were plenty of other girls you could have dated if you didn't want to be with Audrey."

"Dad! Mal. Has. Not. Done. Anything! For that matter when was the last time you checked the registry? The _written_ registry?"

"Ben, we just want you to be safe. As for the registry...I'm not entirely sure. Probably about ten years ago. Belle?"

"Not for while I'll admit…"

"Then maybe you guys should check again since our digital registry doesn't seem to be as accurate," Ben said, crossing his arms. "Her full name is Malinda. She's Lady Persephone's daughter. She was born on the Isle yes but she is not Maleficent's. I would know, I _checked_. So dad it seems your biggest argument is invalid. And what's more it shouldn't matter. Mal is a girl who cares about me and makes me happy."

Belle sighed. "Ben...your happiness is the only thing that matters to me. That and your safety. If you're _sure_ there's nothing to worry about...then I'm happy for you Ben."

"Thank you mom," Ben said softly, giving her a small smile

"You're welcome Ben," Belle said, returning the smile before looking at her husband. "Adam, don't you have something to say to your son?"

"Mom it's fine. I get that he's concerned."

"I know Ben, but the last thing I want is any tension between my two favorite people."

"Oh that's nice," Chip chuckled.

" _Adam_ ," Belle said again. "Gods, why are you being so stubborn about this?"

"…I am happy that you're happy Ben." Beast said after a minute.

"Thanks dad," Ben said with a small smile. "But can you guys stop treating Mal like she's about to attack me? If I can tell, she can too."

"I'll try."

"Thank you," Ben said before letting out a soft sigh. "And...I'm sorry about the comment earlier, about not going by first impressions. That...that was below the belt."

Beast sighed. "It may have been harsh but it needed to be said Ben. A king stands up for what he believes in even if it isn't easy. Clearly you believe in your relationship with Mal and for that I'm proud of you son."

"Thanks dad," Ben said softly with a small smile. "It...it means a lot, especially since coronation's tomorrow."

"You keep following your heart Ben," Belle said gently. "You're going to be a great king."

"Thanks Mom. So any other worries that Mal probably shouldn't hear?"

Belle looked over at Beast who shook his head.

"That was our main concern Ben," Belle said gently. "But is there anything _you'd_ like to talk to us about?"

Ben bit his lip. "Dad...are you _sure_ you're not making a mistake stepping down? You can still-"

"Ben, if I thought I was making a mistake I wouldn't be stepping down," Beast said gently. "You'll be fine."

"Dad, I'm...I'm _sixteen_. You even said you didn't make a good decision until you were forty two! And don't say you married mom at 28, you know what I mean! Dad, what if I can't do this? There are already people not happy with the idea of taking orders from a _teenager_!"

"Ben, you _can_ do this," Beast said gently. "You care about this kingdom, no one can deny that. And if anyone has an issue with you being sixteen, well then too bad for them."

"But-"

"Ben, relax. And, if you're truly worried about the people being upset, just remember this: we're French. Dealing with upset peoples is what we do," Beast said gently.

Ben couldn't help but give a weak chuckle at that.

"There we go," Beast smiled. " Relax okay? Like I said, I wouldn't be stepping down if I didn't think you were ready."

"Ben? Has this been bothering you for a while?" Belle asked softly.

Ben shrugged and Belle gave a sad smile. "Ben sweetheart...you know you can come to us with any doubts you might have right? You'll be alright. You've got a good head on your shoulders and you know how to use it."

Chip chuckled softly, wrapping an arm over Ben's shoulders. "I told you you'd be fine Benji. You should listen to me more."

"Chip, when _don't_ I listen to you?"

"A year ago."

"When...when didn't I listen to you a year ago? Don't tell me…you're not taking about Audrey?"

Chip snorted. "I told you the minute I met her that you needed to dump her like a hot potato. But did you listen to Chip? No, you suffered in silence for a _year_!"

"Chip it wasn't-"

"Ben, trust me. If I had to listen to one more call from Emir or Akiho about Audrey dragging you on shopping dates, I was going to come down and ended it for you."

"And how exactly would you-"

"I'd've found a way! Trust me Ben, I spent ten years surviving as a teacup! I'd find a way to end that relationship for you!"

"I know Chip," Ben nodded with a small smile. "But you don't have to worry about that okay? I'm with Mal. Relax."

"I will once I know you'll listen to me from now on!"

"Chip, I do listen to you," Ben promised. "I just couldn't get out of the relation-"

"Weekly. Calls. From. Your. Friends. Benji!"

"Okay okay!"

"Ben, my darling little brother, I don't think you get it. Weekly calls at eight in the morning! On Sundays! Why are your friends up at that hour anyway?"

"It's Emir and Akiho," Ben said as if that explained everything.

"Still, don't they know that 8 am on a Sunday is for sleeping?"

"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore Chip," Ben said. "I doubt Mal would get me up at 8am on a Sunday unless it was an emergency. That being said...something tells me you'll miss the weekly phone calls."

Chip snorted."Like the plague Benji. I'll miss them like the plague."

"Ben?" Belle asked softly, breaking into the conversation.

"Yeah mom?" Ben asked, looking at her.

"If Mal is Lady Persephone's daughter... does that mean that her father is—?"

"Mal hasn't said anything but according to the registry, her father is Lord Hades."

"So wait...why is Mal here as Maleficent's daughter when she's not?" Chip asked.

Ben sighed. "As I said, our digital registry isn't as current as our written one. Our digital registry has her as Maleficent's daughter, our written one states Lady Persephone adopted Mal. Mal doesn't really like to talk about Maleficent or the Isle much. All she said when she arrived was that Maleficent's daughter died and that she didn't want our resources of bringing the kids over to go to waste. I remember she wasn't the most...thrilled to be here when we first met. Actually all the VKs seemed a bit subdued, almost squinting at times…but anyway, yeah Mal's Lord Hades' daughter."

"You know, it kinda makes me wonder why Mal didn't say anything when Leah was confronting you two?" Chip asked.

"Leah didn't really give her the chance," Ben muttered. "Besides, would Leah have believed her? Her name is Mal, that's all the 'proof' Leah would've needed. Not to mention Mal still has the dragon motif on her clothes-but that's her choice. She told me on our way back from our date it's because dragons are immortal and mythical like the Gods. Plus they're awesome. But Leah wouldn't see it like that. All she would see is a tie to Maleficent."

Belle and Beast looked at each other, guilt evident in their eyes. They had made the same judgement call that Ben had described.

"...so should I bother pointing out that we've technically just left Mal out there with Leah still on the warpath?" Chip spoke up.

"Oh!" Ben exclaimed, hurrying out of the office.

Chip chuckled, hurrying after Ben in case backup was needed.

_For that matter where is Lady Persephone?_ Ben thought as he rushed back out to the quad. I _t is Family Day after all-and Lady Persephone is Mal's mother_.

"Queen Leah, may I have a word with you? You seem to have a problem with my daughter."

_There she is._

"Why Lady Persephone! Of course, and I beg your pardon but I wasn't aware you had a daughter attending Auradon Prep. After all, we all know about your… _husband_."

Ben walked up and slipped an arm around Mal's waist.

"Mom...really you don't... just leave it..." Mal whispered, not noticing Ben's arrival.

"Mal, I will not. Not when Queen Leah seems to have no qualms in attacking my daughter," Persephone said, glaring at Leah. "Now as I was saying, exactly _what_ is your problem with Malinda?"

"Lady Persephone, I do beg your pardon but I don't know who you're referring to."

"Let me make it clear for you then. The girl you just went after and verbally attacked? She's _my_ daughter. Not Maleficent's."

"Lady Persephone, it's impossible for that girl to be your daughter. She looks exactly like her mother-the witch who made it so I couldn't raise my own daughter! I know you feel sympathy for the children of the Isle but to claim one as your child—"

"And exactly how long has it been since you've seen Maleficent? I assure you Mal looks like _me_. Her father's features do show through but my daughter looks nothing like Maleficent. And frankly Queen Leah? You not raising Princess Aurora was your own fault! You could have easily raised your daughter until her sixteenth birthday and then sent her to Fairy Cottage for the day. Regardless, you have no right attacking my daughter. She is an innocent girl who's only 'crime' was to be born on the Isle which she had no control over!"

"Lady Persephone, your 'daughter' if you can even call her that stole Ben from Audrey and ruined their relationship. I know she has you blind to her true nature but if you think-"

"Mal did nothing of the sort! The choice to break the betrothal contract was Prince Ben's. You can't steal a person! If Prince Ben wanted to stay with Princess Audrey, he would have."

Ben nodded. "I agree with Lady Persephone. I'm sorry to interrupt but once again Queen Leah, I won't stand here and watch you verbally abuse my girlfriend. I'm sorry it didn't work out between myself and Audrey but that's between have no say in whether I stayed or broke up with Audrey. I made the choice to end that relationship. Tread very carefully Queen Leah because if you continue like this I will ask that Fairy Godmother have you removed. Forcibly if necessary."

"Bennyboo!" Audrey cried shocked.

"Audrey, we are not together anymore! I put up with the pet names because we were in the contract but I must ask, if there is any semblance of our friendship remaining, that you stop calling me that!" Ben exclaimed. "And I'm sorry but I'm firm on this-if your grandmother continues to verbally abuse Mal and her family, I will have her removed from the premises. Now both of you will kindly quietly leave and enjoy the day and there will be no more abuse thrown towards Mal or Lady Persephone! If you have an issue with this, I would be more than happy to find a guard to escort both of you out."

Mal smiled softly as Leah and Audrey stormed off. "You didn't need to do that Ben. Mom's pretty tough—she could handle Leah on her own."

"I know...but I'm not just to stand here and let her abuse you or your mother," Ben said gently. "Plus I didn't really want your mom to turn Leah into a mint plant. Even if it would have been cool to see."

"It's a good thing you're getting coronated tomorrow. I don't think Leah's going to be the most cooperative with you after that."

"Yeah well...I'll deal with it," Ben said with a small smile.

"You shouldn't have to," Mal said softly. "Leah was going after me."

"And she shouldn't have been."

"Prince Ben's right, Mal," Persephone said gently. "Leah shouldn't've gone after you. If she has concerns, she can come to him or me if she insists."

"Mom, that's not fair to Ben!" Mal exclaimed. "Leah's insanity isn't his responsibility!"

"Well technically…" Ben said slowly.

"No. No technically. The only one responsible for Leah is Leah," Mal told him.

"But this was my idea. Anyone with concerns should come to me."

"Well, _technically_ you're not in charge for another day," Mal said with a small smirk. "Send them to your dad."

"It was nice to see you again, Lady Persephone," Ben said, chuckling slightly from Mal's comment. "I only wish it could have been under better circumstances."

"No apology necessary Prince Ben."

Ben smiled softly before turning to Mal. "Where's Jay? I'm surprised he's not here."

"He's-"

"Right here," Jay said, walking up. "I knew Mal could handle herself though. I come in when she needs back up. That's what first mates do after all."

Ben smiled. "Well I'm sorry I wasn't here when she got started."

"Mom seemed to have it under control..."

"Yeah she did but still, Mal what kind of a boyfriend would I be if I'm not there when people start attacking my girlfriend?"

"Ben, I knew you were off with your parents," Mal said softly. "It wasn't like you were ignoring the situation, you didn't know. It's fine, as I said mom had it under control."

"She sure did," Jay nodded. "Never get Steph angry-especially if you're going after Mal or Hadie. I think that might just sign your death certificate. Leah's just made herself a very powerful enemy."

"Two of them," Ben muttered. "After all, I'll be king tomorrow and as Mal reminded me, Leah's days on the council are numbered."

"Your boyfriend's got claws Mal," Jay smirked.

Ben chuckled. "Well, I am part Beast," he joked causing Mal to giggle. Ben smiled and kissed Mal's cheek.

"I see you're covered here cap'n. I'll be over there then," Jay said, pointing to where Emir was hanging out with his family. Mal nodded and Jay headed off, as Ben pulled Mal closer to him.

"Hey mom? Has dad-?"

"Your father did let me know about your little stunt, dear," Persephone said, nodding her head. "As well the school nurse called me as Prince Ben updated your records to have me as your guardian instead of King Beast and Queen Belle. How's your shoulder?"

"Not bad. How bad was the rant on the fact that I now have a boyfriend?" Mal asked, a little surprised Persephone wasn't fussing over her. Though maybe she didn't want to embarrass her in front of Ben.

"Do you want the short version or the long?" Persephone asked, shaking her head.

"We've got time," Mal told her and Persephone chuckled before starting her impression of her husband.

"'No no no no! She's sixteen! Who does that boy think he is?! My daughter?!Absolutely not! I hope he's ready for the River Styx! Seriously, she's _sixteen_! I don't care who this boy is, he hurts one hair on her head and I will find a way off this Gods forsaken Isle! My baby girl—!' Never mind the fact you're also _my_ daughter."

"Never mind the fact that I'm sixteen and Ben's the epitome of the perfect gentleman too," Mal chuckled as Ben flushed slightly. "Honestly dad's not going to get better than Ben."

"Yes well sweetheart he's still your father. He has to get used to the idea of you growing up," Persephone smiled slightly. "Remember sixteen to the Gods is rather young."

"I know mom but still! It's not like I'm on the Isle anymore."

"Mal you could be up on Olympus and I have a feeling your father would have the same reaction," Persephone pointed out.

"True," Mal chuckled. "But I mean it's not like I'm dating Harry or anyone dad needs to worry about. It's Ben!"

"He's still your father sweetheart. I think he'd worry about you no matter what."

"At least dad knows so it's not a shock to him when I ride up with Ben tomorrow," Mal sighed. "That is still what happens right?" she asked, looking at Ben.

"Yep, as far as I know nothing's changed on that front."

Mal smiled slightly. She wasn't exactly looking forward to being on a televised event. But...she was looking forward to seeing Ben get coronated. It was a nice image, Ben getting crowned...

"Well Mali, I'll let you go ahead and spend time with Prince Ben," Persephone said gently, bringing Mal back to the present.

"Mom..."

"Wait, Mal, it's Family Day. I'll let you spend time with your mom," Ben said with a smile.

Mal smiled slightly. "Thanks Ben. I'll see you around?"

"Count on it."

Ben gave her a light kiss on the cheek before bowing his head slightly to Persephone.

"My ladies," he said with a smile.

"Prince Ben," Persephone bowed her head in response.

"Your highness," Mal teased.

"What have I told you about that Mal?" Ben teased back as he walked away.

"Hey you called me 'my lady'. Turn about's fair play!"

The Godling and Goddess headed off chuckling. Mal couldn't help but grin as she got to spend the rest of Family Day with her mom. Maybe Auradon truly wasn't _so_ bad.

...Now if her mom would stop fussing over her shoulder, that would be _great_!


	45. Chapter 45

The next day came faster than Ben had expected it to. Honestly, he didn't even remember falling asleep but he must have as he awoke with his stomach in knots. It was the day he had been looking forward to and yet dreading for months…his coronation day.

_Okay, nothing to worry about,_ he thought as he started to get ready. _Just getting coronated in front of the entire kingdom. Breathe. You've been preparing for this for sixteen years. You can do this. It's just kneeling in front of Fairy Godmother, my mom and my dad; saying one line. There's no way I can mess that up._

He shook his head, trying to stamp down the nerves that were building up inside him. He needed to talk to someone soon otherwise he'd be a jittery mess come Coronation. _Okay, so coronation's not for a few hours. Why don't we see what Chip is up to? He's usually good at being a calming voice._

Ben pulled out his phone and quickly dialed up Chip's number. He listened to the ringing of the other line and couldn't help but hope that Chip would be available to pick up.

"Hey Benji! What's up?" Chip's chipper voice sounded thought the phone. "How're you feeling?"

"Nervous. Very nervous," Ben told him, seeing no reason to lie to the man who was his brother in all but blood.

"Completely understandable."

"But I mean _should_ I be nervous? I'm only kneeling and saying one line. Really Fairy Godmother's doing all the work."

"Ben, you're not _just_ kneeling," Chip told him. "You're also accepting responsibility for looking after the lives of everyone in the kingdom."

"Thanks Chip, I called you to alleviate my nerves. Not to be more nervous than I already was," Ben sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Ben, relax and listen to me okay? You will be fine. Have I ever been wrong? When it's important I mean?"

Ben sighed. "Chip….I don't know. I mean, I know I've been preparing for this for sixteen years but now that it's here…"

"I know Benji, I know," Chip said, his voice growing gentle. "It's a totally different thing. It's real now."

"It's stupid but…I'm just worried I'm going to mess everything up and Dad's going to realize he made a mistake stepping down—"

"Ben, he wouldn't be stepping down if he didn't feel you were ready. Like he said yesterday at Family Day, remember?"

"Yeah, okay, he thinks that now. What if in a month or so he realizes he made a mistake? Chip, I'm serious, I don't know if I can do this! I-I—"

"Ben, I want you to listen to me! Your dad would not be stepping down if he felt you weren't ready. You can do this."

Ben ran a hand through his hair once more. "Chip, what makes you so sure?"

"Because not only have you been raised and trained for this since _birth_ but you _want_ to do a good job ruling the kingdom."

"Well of course I want to do a good job! Doing a bad job would mean people might suffer!"

"You just proved my point," Chip said gently. "Ben, if you weren't ready for this, you wouldn't have said that. The fact that you're thinking about others being affected means you can do this."

Ben took a deep breath. Chip had a point—and besides he would have his friends by his side. Sure he would have the council, but when it came to advisors, there was no one Ben trusted more than his friends.

"Ben, trust me. You're going to be fine," Chip told him. "And honestly, I'd rather have a king who's nervous on his coronation day than have one who's completely calm."

"Why?"

"Because it means he doesn't have an ego the size of Jupiter for one and would be able to think things through, preventing the kingdom from suffering."

Ben couldn't help but give a weak smile at that, even though he knew Chip couldn't see it.

"Thanks Chip," he said softly. "What would I do without you?"

"You'll never need to find out," Chip promised. "I'm always going to be here Ben. You need anything, even after that crown touches your head, I'll be there."

"Thanks Chip."

"Not a problem. You feeling a bit better Benji?"

"Yeah."

"Good. You got this Ben. Just keep telling yourself that okay? Plus, if it helps, think of Mal looking all nice in her dress as she looks at you in the front row."

Ben smiled at the thought. "I…I hadn't thought about that," he said softly.

"Well _do_ think about that cause that's what's going to happen," Chip said with a chuckle. "Now, little bro, you're going to go out there and rock this coronation. Then you're going to enjoy yourself at the party your shadows are throwing for you."

"Oh so they've given you details?" Ben teased.

"Of course!"

"Any chance you'd spill some of those details?"

"Hmm…sorry Benji, your shadows swore me to secrecy."

"Chip!"

"Ben, do you really think that'll work on me? I can hear the pout in your voice," Chip chuckled. "Don't forget I've known you since you were a baby—hell I changed your diapers!"

Ben sighed. "So I'll be going into an Akiho and Emir party completely blind?"

"Yep, but you'll enjoy it."

"If you say so. You know those two always go a bit overboard on their parties."

"Trust me Benji."

"You know you've said that a lot in this conversation. I will always trust you Chip. However, I do have concerns when it comes to parties thrown by my best friends. You do remember what they did for my 16th after all. Just a hint couldn't hurt could it?"

"Fine, only because it's you and it's your coronation day," Chip told him. "Be prepared to be carried into the party by some of your Tourney team mates. Also it's outside."

"Okay…" Ben said slowly. "Did they happen to say why that's going to be happening?"

"Can't tell you that."

"Of course you can't," Ben sighed. "Chip just tell me this…they're not planning on blowing anything up are they?"

"Do fireworks count?"

Ben couldn't help but give a weak chuckle at that. His best friends meant well but their parties…let's just say there was a reason one of the ball rooms at Beast Castle was an ice rink.

"Other than the fireworks, no Benji, they're not planning on blowing anything up. Honestly, and you didn't hear this from me, it actually sounds pretty tame."

"Oh good."

"Yeah, other than the Tourney guys carrying you in. Gods I hope someone gets that on video!"

Ben chuckled. "Why would you need someone to film it, Chip? I'd have thought you'd be there in person?"

"Oh I will be," Chip promised.

"See? No need for there to be video then!"

Chip chuckled and Ben could almost see him shaking his head in amusement. "Get dressed Benji or you'll be late."

"Okay, talk to you later Chip."

Ben hung up his phone and sighed. It never failed; talking to Chip always seemed to help calm his nerves. Taking a deep breath, he got dressed in his coronation attire. Just as he was finishing up, there was a knock on his door.

"Your highness? I have your breakfast," Mrs. Potts said. "Chip and I made your favorite in honor of the day."

Ben grinned and opened the door. "Thanks Mrs. Potts!"

"You're welcome dear, oh look at you! You look so handsome. Are you feeling alright Ben? You look a bit pale."

"I was feeling a little nervous earlier but Chip calmed me down," Ben said as he took the tray of food.

"Good. Try to eat something, you've got a big day after all."

"Yes Mrs. Potts," Ben said with a smile. No matter how old he got, Mrs. Potts would always be like a second mother to him.

Mrs. Potts smiled before dipping into a small curtsy. Ben chuckled and gave a small bow in return, returning the smile before looking down at the tray.

"This looks really good Mrs. Potts," Ben said, looking back at her.

"Thank you dearie. Well I'll let you get to eating. Just leave that tray in front of the door when you're done."

"I will—thank you again!"

Mrs. Potts gave Ben a kind smile as she walked off, and Ben closed the door to his room to eat the breakfast she'd prepared. Actually, breakfast was a bit of an understatement— _feast_ was a more appropriate word. And yet, Ben managed to eat all of it. As he finished up, Ben checked his watch to note the time.

"I'm…not running late?" Ben muttered to himself as he saw the time. Despite being the Crown Prince and knowing the importance of punctuality, Ben had started developing a reputation for running late—if only because of all the items on his schedule. "This is a weird feeling. Okay then, I should probably head down anyway. Wonder how many people I'll freak out because I"m early for once."

He chuckled and straightened out his jacket once more before opening the door and made his way downstairs. Ben couldn't help but smile as he saw all the attendants and servants hard at work preparing the castle of the transition. Making his way down the stairs, Ben chuckled to himself as he saw his parents in the foyer.

"Hey mom, hey dad!" Ben called as he finished descending the stairs, slowing his pace a little as to not appear as if he was rushing. Reaching his parents, Ben gave each of them a smile; noticing the tears that had begun to well in his mom's eyes. "Oh mom, don't cry!"

"I'm sorry Ben," Belle said, dabbing at the corners of her eyes. "It's just hard to believe you're going to be King after today. Look at you, you look so handsome."

"Thanks mom," Ben said with a small smile.

"Hard to believe you're the same little boy who used to get into mischief with Chip," Beast said fondly, resting a hand on Ben's shoulder. "You grew up too fast, Ben."

"It doesn't feel like it," Ben told him. "Dad, are you _sure_ about this—?"

Beast gave his son a comforting smile. "Ben, it's natural to feel nervous. But, like I said yesterday, I wouldn't be stepping down if I wasn't sure you'd be able to do the job."

Ben couldn't help but give him a small smile before sighing softly.

"We should get going," Beast said. "Wouldn't look good for you to be late at your own coronation."

Ben chuckled slightly before the three of them began to make their way to their respective carriages that would take them to the chapel.

_Wait a minute!_ Ben suddenly thought, stopping in his tracks. _Mal! She should be riding in the carriage with me! We need to pick her up!_

"Wait!" Ben exclaimed, causing his parents to pause and look back at him. "Mom, dad, I need to pick up Mal! She's my girlfriend after all, she should be riding with me!"

Belle turned to Beast. "I _told_ you we were forgetting something."

"I won't be long," Ben promised.

"We'll meet you at the cathedral," Belle told Ben, who nodded before turning and went to make his way to Mal's dorm; riding to the school in the carriage before telling the driver to meet them in front of the school. Thankfully, all the students were in their dorms preparing for coronation so no one prevented him from getting to Mal's dorm. Knocking on the door, Ben waited nervously; straightening out his jacket once more as if to have something to do with his hands. Thankfully, Mal didn't keep him waiting long as she opened the door maybe about five minutes later.

Ben didn't think it was possible for her to look even more beautiful than she already did. Clearly he was wrong.

"Uh…you..you look…" he stuttered, trying to pull the words out. She truly was a vision in a lavender dress accompanied by a high collar.

"What's the matter Ben? Cat got your tongue?" Mal asked with a small smirk, a teasing tone to her voice, and Ben couldn't help but flush.

"You look beautiful," Ben said, finally getting the words out.

"Thank you," Mal said softly. "Evie's amazing when it comes to clothes. I have to give credit where it's due. I don't know how she managed to make the dress so fast, maybe she had a Fairy Godmother of her own."

Ben chuckled and gave her a small smile. "Um…I've got the carriage ready to take us to the cathedral if you're ready to go?"

He didn't know why but the nerves he had been successful in stamping down earlier had returned as he held out his hand for Mal to take. She took the offered hand, giving him a small smile as she stepped out of her dorm.

"Relax," Mal said softly before smirking slightly. "All you really have to do is just kneel there and look pretty."

"That's easier said than done," Ben told her. "Relaxing I mean. I think Chad's got the 'stand there and look pretty' aspect down to a science."

"Well just pretend it's like a Tourney game or something," Mal said, giving him an understanding smile and then paused. "On second thought, bad idea considering you don't eat before a big game."

Ben couldn't help but give a soft chuckle at that. "Well I had something to eat so you don't need to worry about that."

"Good," Mal said with a chuckle of her own as they arrived to the carriage. "Last thing we need to worry about is you passing out because you forgot to eat."

Ben gave her a small smile before opening the door to the carriage and holding out a hand for Mal to take so she could enter first.

"Thanks," Mal said softly, giving him a small smile, as she climbed into the carriage, gathering up the hem of her dress so it didn't get caught in the door. "By the way, this dress? It's for today only."

"I kinda figured," Ben said with a small chuckle.

Mal smirked. "Good. So, you excited? The big day's finally here."

"In a way. It's…it's hard to process," Ben said as he climbed into the carriage and closed the door.

"I get that," Mal said softly.

"I mean, it's a good hard to process," Ben said as the carriage started to move forward. "Last year, when my dad gave me the news, I'd resigned myself to being king with that betrothal contract looming over my head."

"Well, there's no problem there anymore," Mal told him.

"Thanks to you," Ben said with a small smile.

Mal shrugged. "I did what I needed to do Ben. Anyone else would have done the same thing."

Ben shrugged, the small smile still on his lips. He knew not everyone would have attempted to spell him but he kept quiet about that. The staff did like to gossip after all.

"Well regardless, it's in the past Ben," Mal said, breaking the silence. "You're out of it now. One less thing to worry about."

Ben nodded and then sighed. "Now I just have to be responsible for an entire kingdom," he said softly as the carriage made its way to the cathedral.

"Hey," Mal said gently, grabbing his hand so that their fingers were intertwined. "You got this Ben. All a king needs is a ruler who cares and you've already proven that. After all, you were the one who wanted to see what the Isle was like and you're the _only_ one who considers the Isle part of Auradon. If you're worried about making a mistake, well…you're human. As long as you learn from the mistakes, I don't think anyone's going to care that much."

Ben gave her a small smile, gently squeezing her hand. "Thanks Mal."

"Hey dealing with stressed out Princelings is something I'm growing used to," Mal chuckled. "My dad _is_ King of the Underworld after all and I've got a little brother."

"Who will _definitely_ be part of the next group of VKs," Ben promised.

Mal smiled and gently squeezed Ben's hand. "I know Ben. You keep your promises after all."

The carriage made its way through the city to the cathedral; crowds of citizens lining the streets to wave at the passing carriage and their new king. Ben smiled and waved back. However Mal couldn't help but be a bit more reserved despite the crowds waving on both sides of the carriage. She stuck with giving a small smile to the crowds.

Ben looked over and gave Mal a small smile, their hands still intertwined. "Hey, don't be nervous. All you have to do is sit there and look beautiful. No problem there."

"Ben…" Mal said softly, a small flush coming to her cheeks.

"What? It's the truth," Ben said with a smile. She looked gorgeous after all.

"Thank you," Mal said, her cheeks still sporting a faint pink hue.

Ben gave her a fond smile, if it wasn't for the fact that he knew there were cameras around he would have kissed her cheek. Taking his ring out of his pocket, Ben looked over at Mal. "Mal? W—would you wear my ring?" Ben asked, keeping it out of frame so the cameras wouldn't pick up on it.

"Um, are you sure Ben?" Mal asked, looking at him with her eyes wide. "I wouldn't want it to fall off. It has to be important to you, and valuable. Am I really the best person to—?"

Ben couldn't help but give her a small smile. "You're the perfect person to wear my ring, Mal," he told her as he took her hand and started to slip his ring onto her finger. Making sure it fit, Ben bent his head down and gave a gentle kiss to Mal's hand.

_What's happening to me?_ Mal thought as her cheeks flushed once more at the feeling of Ben's lips on her hand. _I'm not the one who goes all gooey over a guy—that's Evie. Come on Mal! Snap out of it! Boyfriends are a waste of time remember? If there's one thing Maleficent spent years drilling into your head it was that love is weakness! So what that Ben is a good guy? So are Jay, Harry and Carlos and you're not fawning over them! Never mind the fact that Jay and Harry are practically your older brothers and that fawning over them would be like fawning over Hadie._

The carriage arrived in front of the cathedral and stopped, allowing Ben to get out before offering a hand to help Mal out of the carriage. Mal took it with a small smile, hyper aware of all the people around them. You learned quickly to be cognizant of crowds on the Isle; an increase in crowds could lead to an increase of people getting crushed if something went wrong.

Ben returned the smile, his thoughts seemingly untroubled with potential disasters to which Mal couldn't help but be jealous of as the two of them made their way up to the cathedral.

_Okay, you can do this,_ Mal thought as they reached the front door where Belle and Beast stood. _Never mind the fact that they were practically statues yesterday. You will not make a scene Malinda. Not today._

Belle smiled at the both of them and reached over to grab Ben's free hand, as his other one was still intertwined with Mal's. "Ben, your father and I are so proud of you. You keep listening to your heart."

"Thanks mom," Ben said, giving his mom a big smile.

"You're going to make a fine king Ben," Beast told him, patting Ben on the shoulder before taking Belle's hand and walking off. Ben turned to Mal and gave her one last smile.

"Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Mal told him as one of the attendants led her off in the opposite direction of Belle and Beast. Ben took a deep breath as he entered the cathedral, hearing the choir start up as his cue to enter the main room. Walking into the chamber as his parents rose from their seats in the middle of the room, Ben slowly walked down the aisle.

_Okay, you can do this. Remember: a king believes in himself even when it's not easy,_ Ben thought as he made his way down the aisle. _Besides, Chip, Emir and Akiho would never let you live it down if you ran out of this room._

He shot a small smile toward Mal, hiding the frown that formed at her curtsy to him. He knew she had to but it still didn't sit right with him. Reaching the middle of the room, Ben knelt down in front of Fairy Godmother who had bowed to his father for the last time before taking the crown from his head. Ben stayed quiet as the last seconds of his life as a Prince ticked by. Fairy Godmother lowered the crown onto Ben's head. In the back of his mind, Ben couldn't help but think that the crown was a bit too big but stayed quiet. Ben glanced over at his parents for a split second before looking back straight ahead; his dad taking the lid off the bell jar that housed Fairy Godmother's wand.

"Do you solely swear to govern the peoples of Auradon with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?" Fairy Godmother asked, breaking into Ben's thoughts.

"I do so solemnly swear," Ben said, thankfully remembering his line.

Fairy Godmother gently tapped Ben on each shoulder with her wand, a big smile on her face. "Then it is my honor and my joy to bless our new ki—"

Before Fairy Godmother could finish her sentence, a hand shot out and grabbed the wand. Mal stared in shock upon seeing Evie struggling to control the power that was Fairy Godmother's wand. She was only a mortal without magic, it would be ridiculous to expect her to be able to wield it.

"Evie, what are you doing?!" Mal exclaimed. _Where did she even come from? I thought she was standing up in the balcony with Carlos and Jay,_ she thought.

"I told you!" Audrey's dulcet tones rang through the main room. "I told you this would happen!"

Evie turned to face Mal, both girls ignoring Sleeping Brat. Mal was honestly surprised to see fear behind Evie's dark brown eyes instead of any malice or hate there might have been.

"You don't get it Mal!" Evie cried as she struggled to get the wand under control. "You have no idea what it's like to be raised by a villain! The type of pressure I'm under—you can do no wrong with your parents!"

"Evie, I know the pressure you're under," Mal said as she slowly made her way toward Evie as the crowd stood petrified as if unsure of what was going to happen. "I spent six years as Maleficent's daughter, you think I don't know? She kidnapped me, made me think I was her daughter. She may have been my birth giver but she is _not_ my mother. I _know_ the pressures you're facing. But you're _here_! In _Auradon_! The Evil Queen can't get you here."

"Mal…Maleficent has my dad!" Evie said and Mal froze. Daniel was one of the few people on the Isle who didn't have any enemies simply because that was the type of person he was. He'd gone 'missing' after Evie's sixth birthday and everyone had just assumed by now that the man had died. _So that was your plan Maleficent? I shouldn't be surprised, you were going to hold Phillip hostage for a hundred years after all. Plus Evie did humiliate me and therefore you by not inviting me to her party all those years ago-it was naive not to think you would never find out. I guess after dad took me in officially, you needed a new pawn and Evie fit the bill…and now Evie's pursuit of Charming Jr. makes more sense. Charmington's armies_ ** _would_** _be able to storm Maleficent's castle to get her father back._

"She told me the day we left for Auradon, if I didn't get the wand for her…" Evie said softly, pulling Mal out of her thoughts.

"Evie, it's okay," Mal said soothingly. "We'll figure out a way to get your dad free, I'll even get Jay to help. Hell, I'll get Uma, Harry and the Warf Rats involved; they wouldn't turn down a fight against the Dragon. But you _need_ to give me the wand Evie. You are so much more than what your mother wants you to be, what _Maleficent_ wants you to be. When you were trying to be with Chad, you were miserable but I've seen you with Doug—you are so _happy_. And I know we were never the closest of friends, but that doesn't mean I want you making a mistake like this! If you do this, if you give the wand to Maleficent, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

Evie paused and looked at Mal as she still struggled to control the wand. "Mal, I…I can't control this! Stay back! I…I don't want you getting hurt!"

"Evie, it's okay," Mal said as she continued to step closer to Evie.

"Be careful Mal!" Belle called as Beast stood in front of his wife as if to protect her. Ben watched in trepidation as his girlfriend continued to make her way toward the blue haired girl.

"Just calm down Evie. Look, come here," Mal said softly, gently tugging the wand out of Evie's hands. The stream of energy coming from the wand seemed to die down as it left Evie's hands.

"Fairy Godmother, I believe this belongs to you," Mal said softly, holding out the wand to the headmistress.

"…thank you dear," Fairy Godmother said softly. Mal shrugged but before Fairy Godmother could take the wand back, a cloud of green smoke descended from the ceiling. When it faded, Mal's heart sank as she saw the last person she wanted to see in that instance.

"I'm back!"

"Go away Maleficent!" Mal snapped as she whirled around to face the Dragon.

"Oh she's funny," Maleficent' smirked. "Give me the wand Mal."

"I'm not your daughter, I don't take orders from you!" Mal snapped and almost slammed the wand into Fairy Godmother's hand before turning back to the older Fae. "You kidnapped me for six years and tried to brainwash me but you are _not_ my mother!"

"I've had quite enough of this foolishness! Give me the wand Mal!" Maleficent said, glaring at Mal.

"No!"

"Clearly I didn't teach you obedience before your mongrel of a father got his paws on you," Maleficent growled. "That will be rectified shortly."

"You won't touch me," Mal said, a small growl to her voice as she stepped in front of Evie as if to protect the other girl. "Funny you should mention dad, I would have thought you wouldn't want people to know that you could easily be overpowered by a mere sixteen year old. He actually explained my powers to me and trained me in them as best he could with the barrier, unlike some people I could mention!"

"Hah! _You_ overpower me? You, a girl who's spent her whole life trapped on that miserable Isle with that barrier compared to me, Mistress of All Evil?" Maleficent scoffed before pointing her scepter at Mal. "Give me the wand Mal! Unless you want another lesson in what happens when you disobey me? I recall I needed to teach you respect many times in the past."

"I'm not six years old anymore Maleficent!" Mal snapped. "I'm not afraid of you!"

_I've got to get Evie out of here,_ Mal thought as she scanned the audience of frightened royals. However, she paused upon seeing a very familiar, very _welcomed_ face.

"Evie, go to my mom. She'll keep you safe," Mal said firmly. "Maleficent's fight's with me!"

"What?!" Persephone exclaimed, stepping into the aisle. "Malinda, if you think I'm just going to—"

"Mom, I'm not joking! Look after Evie, I'll deal with this!"

"Mal, I…I don't know," Evie said softly, looking at Maleficent with terror evident on her face.

"I swear to Zeus, Evie, _move_!" Mal growled. "Go! This is my fight!"

Mal shoved Evie harshly toward the crowd and felt a twinge of relief as Persephone gathered Evie into her arms. Satisfied that the blue haired girl was safe, Mal turned her attention back to her birth giver.

"Playing the 'hero' Mal?" Maleficent taunted.

"More like protecting my friends from _you_ Maleficent!" Mal shot back. "You've done enough damage to people to last two lifetimes!"

"Is that anyway to talk to your mother?" Maleficent scoffed. "I brought you into this world Mal. I can easily take you out of it."

"You are _not_ my mother!" Mal snarled. "All you are is my _birth giver_ and even that is generous! I have one mother and she's currently making sure Evie's safe! You are nothing to me!"

Maleficent's smirk faded and she glared at Mal. "I thought I taught you about respect Mal. Apparently you need another lesson. I find that pain is an excellent teacher!"

"You won't touch me," Mal growled as she heard Persephone snarl slightly in the background. She also heard Ben growl slightly.

"Watch me Mal!" Maleficent said, growling slightly in return as she pointed the scepter at Mal before looking over Mal's shoulder and smirking. "Or maybe…maybe I'll go for your lover boy?"

"You make one more towards Ben and you'll be vaporized before you can blink!" Mal snarled, her eyes blazing. "Your soul will be in so many pieces dad won't even need to judge you in the Underworld!"

"Ah yes your father, the weak mongrel who walked out on us. Who left you with me. Who went and got himself a new child with a woman who doesn't even know the full horror of the Isle. And yet you defend him," Maleficent said with a smirk.

"That 'weak mongrel' as you call him is a better parent…hell a better _being_ than you will _ever_ be! He never left me! _You_ are the one who kidnapped me! _You_ are the one who made my parents miss out on half my childhood! Because of your brainwashing, I missed out on weeks with my little brother because I hated him! But you will _not_ break my family!" Mal snarled.

"Fool! You're weak, just like your father and that runt he had. Love is weakness Mal. I thought I taught you that! But if you'd rather side with the woman who provided your replacement and the man who left us…so be it! You will regret this… _Maleficent!_ " Maleficent snarled before a cloud of green smoke surrounded her once more. When the smoke faded, a dragon stood before them.

"Jay! Get Ben _out_ of here!" Mal shouted. _Where are the guards?_

"What—Mal, no!"

"Ben, _go!_ " Mal growled before looking at the dragon. "You didn't teach me anything. Love is not weakness. Love is the reason I have the life and the family I do. I don't need to take over the world Maleficent, my world is fine the way it is! I have a family who loves me, friends who care about me…and you are not going to ruin my life! Not anymore. And let's get one thing straight—my name's not Maleficent. It's Malinda!"

Mal sighed before closing her eyes, mentally pleading to the Gods that Jay had managed to get Ben out of the room before he saw this. After all, Mal was the daughter of one of the Big Three and the biological offspring of Maleficent…shapeshifting was in her blood even if she had never tried before due to the barrier.

Soon there were two dragons facing off against each other, staring at each other as if daring the other to make the first move.

_Your move Maleficent. I'm not a baby you can bully anymore,_ Mal thought with a growl. Dragon Maleficent roared and unfurled her wings, as if to fly at Mal. She flapped and lifted her body off the ground, diving at the slightly smaller dragon. Mal responded with a whirlwind, sending a stream of hot air toward the larger dragon and causing her to crash into the ground. Both dragons looked at each other once more, both eyes shining bright green. The Fae and the Godling faced off, each side glaring at each other with bright green eyes until Maleficent became covered in bright green smoke again. When the smoke cleared, a small green lizard was in her place.

Mal transformed back and smirked, kneeling down to the lizard. "I win. I was kinder than you deserved but my mom and dad didn't raise me to be a murderer. Remember that. Enjoy your life as a lizard, I doubt you'll change back. From this moment, you no longer exist to me. Don't worry. I'm sure dad will be happy to watch over you. Goodbye."

Mal walked away, heading over to Persephone and Evie.

"I did it mom," she said softly. "I…I took on Maleficent! I won!"

"Yes you did. However….you do that again and you're grounded understand young lady?" Persephone said, pulling Mal into a hug.

"Yes mom," Mal said, hugging Persephone back. "But…mom, you really think I'm going to be battling Maleficent again?"

"Absolutely not!"

Mal smiled and broke the hug, looking at Evie. "You alright there Evie?"

Evie nodded, a bit shaky.

"Good," Mal said with a small smile. "I promise you Evie. We'll find a way to get your dad back. But, if you'll both excuse me, I have a king to go check on."

Mal didn't know where Ben was but she could only assume that his guards had finally whisked him away.

"For Gods' sake would you three let go? We can't leave Mal in there—"

_Okay, not the guards I was thinking of,_ she thought as she walked over to the antechamber that was off to the side of the main room they were in.

"Ben, I don't know if you noticed but that was Maleficent! Not to mention, there were dragons! You're the king," she heard Jay argue.

"Dude, as much as I like Mal, she can handle herself. You need to be the priority right now—" Akiho stated.

"Sweet Zeus he's strong. Ben, calm down! You really think Lady Persephone is going to let anything happen to her daughter?" Emir asked. "Maleficent would be dust before she could touch Mal."

"Okay, okay, boys. You can all stand down," Mal said with a smile as she walked into the room.

"Mal!" Ben grinned, still in Jay, Akiho and Emir's grip. "Thank Gods you're okay! And that you're here, you seem to be the only one these three listen to!"

"Guys, you can let him go. It's over," Mal said, shooting Ben a small smile.

"If you say so Mal," Jay said and the three boys let go of the teenaged king who immediately bolted over to Mal. Mal couldn't help the small giggle that slipped out as Ben pulled her into an embrace.

"It's alright, it's over. They did the right thing you know…"

"What, but we left you behind!" Ben exclaimed. "Mal…if Maleficent did anything—"

"She couldn't touch me. I'm fine, I promise. Getting you to safety was more important. You were the most important person in that room—"

"Not more important than you Mal!"

"I'm not the newly coronated king Ben!" Mal shot back before sighing. "Are you alright?"

"I feel I should be asking you that question," Ben said softly.

"I'm fine. She had that coming for years."

"Next time I save you okay?"

"Yeah, let's hope for no next time okay?"

"Okay," Ben chuckled. "You…you can turn into a dragon? That's so cool!"

Mal couldn't help but laugh at that. "Only you would think a dragon power is cool but yeah…shapeshifting runs in the family."

"Why wouldn't I think it was cool?" Ben asked. "It's a dragon! So now my amazing girlfriend's even more awesome? I fail to see the downside here!"

Mal couldn't help but giggle, shaking her head a little. Ben grinned before scooping her up into another hug, spinning her around and causing Mal to squeal happily. As Ben sat Mal down, Mal smirked and tilted Ben's crown to the right. It was Ben's turn to chuckle.

Mal bit her lip. "Don't be too harsh on Evie," she said softly. "The pressures of the Isle…those don't go away after a month. Plus, if what she said was true and Maleficent had her father all these years…"

"Don't worry about her," Ben said gently. "She didn't know stealing the wand would let Maleficent out and you took it from her before she could really do anything with it."

Mal sighed in relief. "Now…why didn't you leave the first time when it was just Jay trying to get you out of the room?"

"You think I'm going to just leave you to face off with Maleficent on your own?"

"When you've just been coronated and there's no heir to the throne! Yes! And for that matter where are your guards?! This called for all twenty four of them!"

"That…is a really good question," Ben nodded. "Trust me, I didn't give anyone the day off today—security's too important."

"They need to be fired," Mal muttered.

Ben couldn't help but chuckle. "Easy dragon, easy. I'm sure there's an explanation for where they are."

"There had better be a good one! Why would they skip out on protecting the king from a dragon or villain attack?"

"Mal's right Ben," Jay nodded. "Where are your guards? It shouldn't have just been me, Akiho and Emir to pull you out."

"Yeah I have to agree Ben," Akiho nodded. "Where the hell are your guards?"

"I don't know! You know I was a bit more preoccupied with Maleficent escaping the Isle!"

"Sire?"

"Oh look there are the guards," Mal said, rolling her eyes as the aforementioned guards walked up. "Excellent timing. You all arrived after the danger to the king has already passed. Nice job."

"Mal…" Ben said gently. "I'm sure there's a good explanation for all this."

"Well I for one would like to hear it!"

Ben frowned and turned to the guards. "For that matter, so would I. Where were you all?"

"Sire we…"

"Yes?" Ben asked, tilting his head.

"Oh this better be good," Mal muttered and tapped her foot.

"We…we…"

"You were slacking off? Why yes how right you are," Mal scoffed.

"We didn't expect to be needed sire. After all, there's no real danger in Auradon and the barrier around the Isle of the Lost can't be broken—"

"Did you not just see what happened? The barrier isn't unbreakable!" Mal snapped.

"We didn't think someone would steal Fairy Godmother's wand!"

"You're the security for the _king_! You should expect anything!"

"There are few people who would even have the ability to steal Fairy Godmother's wand! Besides, we…we didn't want to appear as if we were focusing our attention on the Isle kids, sire."

Mal sighed. Why was she not surprised?

"So you would have unfairly profiled the Isle kids as you called them if it wasn't for the fact that you didn't want it to appear that's what you were doing?" Ben asked.

"Sire—"

Ben held up his hand. "I just want to make sure I understand. Because you didn't want it to appear like you were unfairly profiling the Isle kids, you didn't do your job as security for the king and therefore weren't there when Maleficent attacked? I'm in no way saying you should have profiled the Isle kids, I just want to make sure I understand what you're telling me."

"Sire, we didn't—"

"You didn't do your job, there's no way around it," Mal said, her voice low as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was a little surprised that Akiho wasn't venting by now. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emir covering Akiho's mouth, the latter boy's muffled rant going at full speed. She smothered a chuckle at the sight.

"Dude!"

"Ah finally!" Akiho said as Emir wiped off his hand on his pants. "Now, as I was saying, what were you all thinking?! Your job is to protect the king! Did you all get distracted by something shiny?! He could have died! Do you all even realize how lucky you are not to be fired on the spot?! And here you all are worried about the 'Isle kids'?! Hey geniuses, one of those Isle kids just saved all our asses! You should be thanking her rather than digging yourselves deeper into the hole you're in! Ben, demote them all at least—!"

"Akiho, calm down," Ben said before turning to the guards. "Unfortunately for you he has a point. You're all demoted and on probation effective immediately. Falling down on your job like this not only put my parents at risk but it also put Mal and the others at risk too! Mal could have died going up against Maleficent by herself! We're all lucky that Mal was able to save us and stop Maleficent, otherwise who knows what might have happened?"

Ben sighed and shook his head. "You're all dismissed."

"Yes sire," one of the guards said softly as they all left.

"Of course it wasn't his safety that got him upset but the risk to his parents and Mal," Emir said, shaking his head in amusement.

"Well at least he does care I guess."

"Of course I care!" Ben exclaimed. "Guys, do you honestly think I wouldn't care about this?"

"Ben we know you do," Mal said gently. "We're not saying you don't but you do seem to treat your your safety like it's something to be brushed aside. You are the most important person in the room right now. Losing anyone else...while regrettable is..."

"No Mal. I'm not more important than—"

"Um, Ben. Hate to be the buzzkill but you kinda are," Emir chimed in. "You're king of Auradon now remember? And unless you have something to tell us, there's no heir to the throne after you yet."

"Emma's the 'unofficial' heir," Ben said with a small frown. "It's been the agreement with her family and mine since my mom miscarried when I was three."

"Get it in writing if you don't already otherwise I can already tell that your council will be fighting over the position like wolves until you have an heir that's related to you by _blood_."

"It's a verbal agreement," Ben said. "Why would we need it in writing? Verbal's worked all these years."

"Ben, Zeus had a verbal agreement that he was ruler of Olympus and he got overthrown," Mal said with a sigh. "Remember? It's kinda one of the things that got my dad sent to the Isle."

"Ben, if you don't get it in writing that Emma's your heir, Chad's technically the next in line," Emir said. "I'd live on the Isle before I called Chad king...err no offense Mal."

"None taken," Mal said with a small shrug. "Though I just thought of a way Chad being king would be worse Emir. Who's the one girl he's obsessed with?"

"Don't put that image in my head!" Emir exclaimed after a second.

Mal smirked. "Hey I'm wicked remember? But yeah, Audrey as Chad's queen is an image I don't want in my head either. Anyway we shouldn't be given Ben the third degree not today."

"Ah true, Akiho and I can give his majesty the third degree any day," Emir nodded.

Ben chuckled. "Guys, you know you don't have to use my title."

"As my liege requests!" Akiho said, faking a bow.

Ben rolled his eyes but shook his head fondly at his best friends. "You two are insane, you know that?"

"Thank you!"

"...you know that's not a compliment right?"

"Ben, Ben, Ben, you've called us insane every day since we were twelve," Emir chuckled as Mal chuckled softly. "It's a compliment now."

Ben shook his head. "I think we should go back to the main room," he said softly and Mal nodded in agreement.

"So..." Mal said softly as they started to make their way to the main room.

"So?" Ben asked.

"I'm just surprised there weren't more people fleeing in terror," Mal muttered.

Ben shrugged. "I'm sure a lot of people were more concerned. Didn't you hear my mom call for you to be careful?"

"Honestly I was more preoccupied with getting the wand from Evie."

"Where is Evie by the way?"

"That...is a very good question."

"Well at least Leah's not-"

The sound of yelling from the main chamber interrupted whatever Mal was going to say.

"Spoke too soon" Ben sighed as he started to head over, entering the main room. "Queen Leah, what are you doing?"

Leah stopped her tirade toward Evie to look at Ben. "I am simply reminding this...girl of her place King Ben."

"Her place? What place would that be Queen Leah? And how does doing that involve berating her at a volume so loud it could be heard in the hall? And since when was it your job to sentence people who have supposedly done something wrong?"

"King Ben, because of this girl's selfish actions the kingdom was put at risk. I am simply doing what any member of your council would do," Leah responded.

"And do you see any other member of the council tearing into a sixteen year old? No, you don't. Evie made a mistake-a mistake that I'm sure any one of us would have made if put in her shoes. You do not need to berate her Queen Leah as you are not her guardian nor are you her parent," Ben said firmly. "Evie's actions will be discussed and dealt with in fact I think it might be beneficial for her to go into counseling but there is no need to scream at and terrify her!"

"King Ben, because of that girl, Maleficent was able to escape the Isle. I fail-"

"I know your history with Maleficent Queen Leah. But Evie is not Maleficent. I must ask you again to stop publicly berating her! Ask yourself this, if Audrey had done what Evie did would you want someone to yell at her like you're yelling at Evie?"

"Why would they need to? Audrey would never do such a thing!"

"Because Audrey wasn't raised in an environment where she might feel the need to!" Ben shot back. "But the fact that you can't even put Audrey in Evie's place shows a stunning lack of empathy Queen Leah. Now kindly step away from Evie and leave her punishment if any to me if you don't mind."

Leah glowered but did as requested, more than likely due to all the people staring at her.

"Thank you your highness" Evie whispered, looking down at the ground as she dropped into a curtsy.

Ben gave Evie a kind smile. "You don't have to do that Evie. Besides, no one deserves to be yelled at like that."

Evie bit her lip but stayed silent.

"I do though highly recommend therapy Evie," Ben added as Evie nodded. "At the very least talking to someone. But that's a topic for a time when we're not in the middle of a cathedral."

"Sire? What...what do you want us to do with the lizard Maleficent?" an attendant asked.

Ben sighs.

"Give her to me," Persephone spoke up. "I'm sure my husband would love a pet," she added with a smirk as Mal snickered in amusement.

"If no one else objects?" Ben called out. "I see no harm in putting Lord Hades in charge of keeping watch over Maleficent. If someone could get a container."

"Yes your highness."

"Go on honey, I've got this," Persephone told Mal. "I'm sure there's a party somewhere with your name on it."

"I thought I was grounded?" Mal asked. "After Ben's coronation?"

"After party counts as his coronation in my book," Persephone winked and Mal chuckled.

"Yes mom," Mal nodded before walking over to Ben, taking his hand. "So what now your highness?"

"Now it's time for his party!" Akiho's voice called from behind Ben and Mal burst out laughing as Ben was scooped up and placed on the shoulders of his Tourney teammates.

"What—come on guys put me down!"

"No can do Ben! It's a dramatic entrance!"

"You drop him, I get to hurt you boys," Mal promised.

"Don't worry Mal, we've got Jay and Carlos as spotters," Emir promised. "Your boyfriend is perfectly safe."

"Her boyfriend would also like to be on the ground!" Ben called.

"Nope! Onward team!" Akiho called and Mal shook her head in amusement as they started to make their way out of the cathedral.

"Mal!" Lonnie and Jane called, rushing toward her.

"Oh thank Gods you two are all right!" Mal sighed in relief, surprised she had actually been worried about the two girls.

"Don't worry about me, are _you_ okay?" Jane asked. "Mom's wand is extremely powerful—"

"Half God."

"Oh right."

Lonnie shook her head in amusement. "Well, shall we go and make sure the Tourney team hasn't just kidnapped our king?"

"That might be a good idea," Mal chuckled and then turned to look at Evie, who was hanging back near the side. "Evie, you coming?"

The blue haired girl looked shocked. "A—are you sure Mal?"

"Evie, like I said, we may not be the closest friends but you made a mistake," Mal said. "You're not going to release Maleficent again are you?"

"No!"

"Then no worries," Mal smirked before the four girls chuckled, making their way back to the school. Sure enough the party was in full swing and Mal grinned as she saw Ben get carried in.

"One king as requested Mali," Jay chuckled. "Unharmed and unspoiled."

"Good," Mal smirked. The smirk changed to a smile as she saw Ben. "Oh come on Ben, surely it wasn't that bad. Stop acting like a disgruntled pelican."

"…how do you even know…you know what never mind," Ben muttered as the Tourney team set him down and he smiled as he pulled Mal into his arms. Mal chuckled as she melted into his embrace.

"Come on, let's go dance," Ben said softly, gently pulling Mal onto the dance floor.

"Ben!" Mal chuckled. "I don't dance!"

Ben smirked as he twirled her around. ""Well then what are you doing now? Why…I do believe you're dancing Mal."

"You know nobody likes a smart aleck."

"You know you love it," Ben teased gently as they continued to dance. Mal chuckled as the night carried on. Ben couldn't help but smile as he looked out at his classmates enjoying themselves—Carlos and Jay were off to the side with Akiho and Emir while Jane and Lonnie had gently dragged Evie onto the dance floor, where they were quickly joined by Emma White and one of Chad's sisters. Judging by the strawberry blonde hair, Ben had to say it was Kitty.

"Hey Mal!"

_Speak of the devil and she shall appear,_ Ben thought as Kitty popped up in front of them.

"Oh, hey Kitty," Mal said, looking slightly confused. "Weren't you just—?"

"Listen, can I borrow you for a second?" Kitty asked. "It's a surprise for his highness here."

Ben sighed. "Kitty, you've known me since birth. You don't have to—"

"Ben, you're pretty much going to have to make a proclamation telling people not to call you by your title," Kitty chuckled as she dragged Mal away. Ben sighed but went over to the side where Chad was standing.

"So…what does your sister have planned?"

"Search me," Chad chuckled. "But she roped Lonnie and Jane into it, plus Emir and Akiho."

"Will the school still be standing?"

"We can only hope."

Chad chuckled and Ben looked to the dance floor as a different song began to play. He couldn't help but smile as he saw the girls take the stage.

"Don't have to win the gold on all your own," Lonnie began to sing followed quickly by Jane. Ben's smile only grew as Mal and Evie joined in on the song only to have his shadows jump in accompanied by Carlos and Jay.

"Because we're better together, stronger side by side, this is our moment, it's our time. So we're different, whatever, everyone can shine. This is the moment of our lives, cause we're better together."

"Should have known," Chad said, shaking his head. "Akiho went to Kitty about three weeks ago after you gave your proclamation, wanted her to come up with a song that fit the spirit of it or something."

"She didn't have to—"

"Once Akiho asked her, there was no stopping her Ben," Chad said, patting him on the shoulder. "You're practically another older brother to her, our families have been friends since we were born. Now if you'll excuse me, Audrey was supposed to be here."

"Chad," Ben said and the blond stopped for a moment. "I'm glad you're happy."

"…thanks Ben," Chad said softly, as if not expecting that.

"What? Expecting a speech about not going after your friend's ex?"

"Pretty much, I mean the guys on the team already gave me a talk after Audrey basically implied I was cheating with her behind your back after the Championship game."

Ben shook his head. "I know you weren't dude. Besides, I may be king but I can't control other people. If Audrey makes you happy, good for you."

"You know one of these days you're going to have a _human_ reaction to something," Chad chuckled as Mal came down to pull Ben onto the dance floor.

"Because we're better together, stronger side by side," she sang softly, her voice blending into the others but Ben only had ears for hers. He couldn't help but smile as the lights caused her green eyes to glow, the small smirk never leaving her face. All Ben knew was that he wanted to kiss those perfect pink lips…but knew Mal wouldn't want something public like that.

It'd be their _first_ kiss after all.

As the song finished and everyone applauded, Ben pulled Mal into his arms. "That was amazing," he said softly.

"Eh if you say so," Mal shrugged. "Truthfully I could have done with some warning that we were going to be involved in a musical number."

"Yeah that doesn't happen in Auradon. Warnings of impending musical numbers I mean."

"Oh goodie."

Ben chuckled before pausing. "Hey, Mal? Can…can I show you something?"

"Hmm, something at the school we both attend?" Mal teased gently before smiling at him. "Of course Ben. If you can slip out without being detected. You are the king now."

"I was crown prince before and I slipped away from Family Day without anyone noticing," Ben smirked. "Come on."

Taking Mal's hand, Ben took her to a hidden grove that was a short distance away from the party.

"This is a nice spot," Mal said softly.

"Kit designed it," Ben said gently. "He said everyone should have a secret spot to call their own, or at least he did according to mom when the school was being built."

"Is it really a secret spot if the parents know it exists?"

"I have no clue," Ben chuckled before leaning down and giving a gentle kiss to Mal's lips. Mal froze slightly, as if she hadn't expected the kiss, before returning it gently; slowly raising her arms so that they rested around Ben's neck.

Ben smiled against Mal's lips. He knew he'd need to go back to the party—hell Emir and Akiho would probably _drag_ him back. But for right now, he was content to just be a _guy_ and spend some time with his girlfriend.

Life certainly couldn't get any better than this.


End file.
